Sweet Dreams
by DXdancer08XxX
Summary: Derek Hale tossed and turned.He had been having the same dream ever since he became the Alpha. He was being haunted in his sleep. She was haunting his sleep Derek/OC
1. IntroPlease Read First

Introduction

Hi everyone!

This is my first Teen Wolf fic…so please be gentle! Im setting this story after Season one so I thought I would give some background info and updates.

First:

Derek-I made Derek 24 since no real age is given for him. After Hale House, Derek began to build up his pack, and had his name cleared thanks to Stiles, Scott, and surpisingly Chris Argent.

Jackson-Derek did in fact bite Jackson, but he doesn't necessarily trust him with being the Beta. It was a power play by Derek in order to gain another member to the pack. He is struggling with the fact that Scott is of a higher rank within the pack than he is.

Scott- Scott is still the reluctantly Beta of the pack although the two of them are still on rough ground Scott is now slightly less apprehensive about being a werewolf after that night at Hale House. His relationship with Allison is still going strong, and his life is starting to ease up.

Lydia-Scott and Derek both took Lydia under their wings to help her gain control of her new abilities. She is also balancing her relationship with Stiles and being a werewolf.

Stiles-Stiles is still human and happily in a relationship with Lydia as he does his best to do his part to help her adapting to being a wolf as he did Scott. He and Scott are still best friends, and he even managed to form an odd bond with Derek.

Allison-After mourning her aunt, Allison is happy and beginning to get along with her father in a way she thought she never would. However, Allison is beginning to become suspicious that her father might be going after Derek's pack.

Chris Argent-Chris Argent has temporarily reached a cease fire with Derek after realizing that it was Peter Hale that attacked the school and not Derek. However, he is still on a werewolf hunt.

Now onto my character.

Tessa Stilinski-Tessa is 23. Stile's older sister. She is a talented ballerina, and a former member of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in Havana, Cuba. She left Beacon Hills after a baby girl she was caring for at the time died in the Hale House fire. She's returned to take as a teaching job at a dance school by Stile's school. She struggles with her father because of how much she looks like her mother.

Physical:

Hair-Long straight light brown

Body Type: 5'10 with long legs, but curvier than the average ballerina.

Eyes: Light green.

Piercings: Belly button, cartilage, and first and second hole.


	2. Prologue

Prologue

Derek Hale tossed and turned in one of the rare moments when he was able to sleep. His sheets were drenched with the sweat the dream was inducing He had been having the same dream ever since he became the Alpha. He was being haunted in his sleep.

Dream Sequence

_The room was dark as he made his way through the window. Dark wood and white walls stood out to him the most as he surveyed the area around him. White sheer fabric billowed around the bed at the center of the room that held what he was searching for, the warm body laying under a rosebud printed sheet. He looked down at her with intent. He could hear the steady beating of her pulse as he watched her sleep. He didn't know who she was, but she knocked the wind out of him everytime he saw her. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. _

_Her long light brown hair was fanned out on her pillows as she lay on her side. The moonlight shined down on her as she opened her soft green eyes and looked around sleepily before settling her eyes on him. She gave a gentle gasp of surprise, but to Derek's amazement she didn't scream. She just smiled up at him. Derek wanted to speak to her, but he was never able to find the words. _

"_You came for me," She greeted him in a soft voice as she sat up, took his hand, and guided him to sit on her bed beside her. "I've missed you, my love," She whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to her and covering his mouth with her own full lips. _

"_I'm ready now, Derek…Please, Im ready…just be gentle with me" the mystery woman pleaded huskily In between her deep urgent kisses. Derek gave into her, trying to battle with his more animalistic instincts as he grabbed her backside so she was stradling his lap. Derek couldn't help but smirk as she let out a gasp of surprise, before beginning to explore her more thoroughly. He groped her breasts and backside before kissing her roughly with a growl as she let out soft moans of pleasure. The mystery woman managed to get his shirt off and unzip his jeans as Derek continued his assault on her breasts and backside, trying to get her night gown off as quickly as possible._

_The only thing standing between the green-eyed woman and Derek was the flimsy night gown she was wearing. He was having a hard time holding it together as he felt his claws rip through her night gown as he pulled it from her body. He finally got to take in the beautiful curves that he had become so accustomed to, but it seemed that with every dream it always felt like the first time seeing her that way. _

_He could smell that she was untouched from the moment the dreams began. He had always thought that virgins were a bit overrated and he preferred a more experienced woman, but something about being the mysterious woman's first excited him down to his most primal instincts. _

_He ran his hands down her torso finally reaching the valley between her entrance as she spread her soft thighs to give him better access to her and tracing the spirals on the tattoo on his back as his fingers prepared her for him. She never broke eye contact with him as he entered her. He kissed her gently as he watched her grimace as he entered her. _

_She may have been inexperienced, but she definetly wasn't shy. She was curious and fiery, as she began nipping at his neck and throat. She was quick to fall into rhythm with him. Derek groaned in surprise, and then pleasure as he felt her match him thrust for thrust. He let out a growl as he felt her back arch up against him as he watched her orgasm rip through her. _

"_Cum for me…" She whispered airily "Cum for me, my love…"_

_Derek could smell her arousal and desire to please and it only made his fight to control himself and the animal inside of him as he was finally sent over the edge. He found himself on his back with her cuddling close to him, his hands were absently rubbing her bare back and as he came down from the euphoria of what he had just experienced._

_His most basic instinct was screaming for him to claim her as his own…touched and tasted by no other man but him as he caught his breath, and found her eyes. Her crystal green eyes were looking up at him in a way he hadn't seen in a long time…_

"_Come for me, my love…." She whispered as he felt his fangs begin to lengthen._

That was when he always woke up. No two dreams were alike, but she was always there. The dreams were always so vivid he could swear he could still smell her scent even after he woke up. Was this some sort of weird side effect of becoming the Alpha? A beautiful virgin dream woman that came to you in your dreams and fucked the shit out of you? Derek ran a had through his sweaty hair and laid back down in his bed with a deep sigh before realizing that not only was it morning, but that dream was a little bit more vivid than he thought as he noticed the wet spot on top of the sheet covering his crotch.

"Dammit…" Derek grumbled, as he yanked the dark sheet off of his bed "Third time this month.."


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Stiles Stilinski and his girlfriend Lydia stood with their friends Scott McCall and Allison Argent at the terminal arriving from Miami Florida. Stiles paced with anticipation as he waited for his sister to arrive. Scott was with him for moral support while Allison and Lydia held up a sign that was emblazoned with **"Welcome Home Tessa!"** in pink and silver glitter.

"I can't believe she's coming home," Stiles said as he heard the monotone voice announcing that JetBlue flight number 275 was arriving.

"How do you think she'll adjust?" Stiles continued not asking anyone in particular.

"Im sure she'll be fine, Stiles. She sounds like she just wanted to be home with her family," Allison said reassuringly.

"What's she like?" Lydia whispered to Scott in a rare moment of nervousness.

"I remember Tessa. She never looked after me personally, but from what I've heard of her she was the closest thing to a saint you can possibly expect from a 16 year old. She used to babysit for almost everyone in Beacon Hills. My mother said she was light as a feather, and she had a smile that could get her out of anything. They said she could get away with murder" Scott explained quietly.

"Do you think she'll like me?" Lydia asked whispered so that only Scott would be able to hear.

"Tessa finds something to like about everyone. You make Stiles happy, and that is reason enough for her," Scott answered.

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It had been a long journey home as she felt the plane land. _Home._ She was back in America, and more importantly Beacon Hills. She wondered how much had changed. She looked out the window of her plane as it parked itself into the terminal. She heard english instead of Spanish, and pine trees instead of palm trees.

She thanked her lucky stars she had done some shopping before going back to the states. In Miami she pulled her mid-back length light brown hair back into and half braid half quick "holyshitImgonnamissmyflight" bun and changed into a cream cashmere turtle neck sweater that came down to the top of her thighs, light wash skinny jeans, knee length grey suede boots, and a grey wool trench that came down to just above her knees. She knew she was going to need to adjust to the cool weather of Beacon Hills.

She also wore a few things that were special too. Her grandmother's diamond ring her mother gave her on her 14th birthday, her charm bracelet that her father bought for her first ballet recital, and the incredibly tasteful pair of amytheist earrings and matching necklace from Tiffany that Stiles sent her for Christmas (that she was pretty sure Lydia had picked out). Anticipation flooded her as the captain told her she was clear to leave the plane. Excitement bubbled up in her belly as she grabbed her carry-on and exited the plane.

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Stiles watched as the passengers exited the plane. After a few moments Stiles finally saw her!

"There she is!" Stiles said to Lydia as he pointed to Tessa.

He watched as Tessa's face lit up at the sight of the sign. She quickened her pace as much as her carry-on would allow her, but Stiles made up ground as he found his sister and pulled her into the mother of all hugs massive carry-on bag and all!

"I've missed you!" Tessa exclaimed as Stiles spun her around.

"It's the best pain in the ass in the whole world!" Stiles cried as he placed his sister back on the ground after having realized he may or may not have overdone it one picking his sister plus bag up.

"Oh my god! Look at you! You're taller than me!" Tessa said as she looked Stiles over as tears began to fill her eyes and she and Stiles went into a little bit more serious reunion.

Then the two looked up to see Lydia snapping a photo.

"Ah you must be Lydia…I'm Tessa it's a pleasure to finally meet you!" said with an outstretched hand.

"How did you know?" Lydia asked as she took Tessa's hand with uncertainty.

"You're impeccably dressed!" Tessa responded giving Lydia a kiss on the cheek.

"…Oh…of course…thank you!...I love your coat!" Lydia responded surprised that Tessa had kissed her cheek.

"You must be Scott! I've heard so many wonderful things about you" Tessa greeted as shook Scott's hand and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm Allison," Allison greeted as she walked up beside Scott and put out her hand, receiving a kiss on the cheek as well.

"Its wonderful to meet all of you! Its so good to be home! You're all here. What shall we do now?" Tessa asked as Stiles took her hand and lead the way to baggage claim.

"How about a return dinner!" Stiles suggested "Your pick, Tess"

"Oh! Is there still the pizza place by the house?" Tessa asked excitedly.

"Yep! Pizza it is!" Stiles said as they picked up two giant suitcases as Scott took one from Tessa.

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Stiles and Allison split transportation so the girls rode Allison's car and the boys in the other.

"So why did you kiss my cheek?" Lydia asked bluntly from the back seat.

"Lydia. Don't be rude!" Allison snapped from the driver side.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Im used to Cuban greetings, it's a cultural thing. In Cuba, when women greet friends its customary to kiss on a cheek. Sorry, I didn't meant to freak you out! Old habits die hard I suppose. Thank you, Allison. Stiles told me you are very direct, Lydia. It is a trait I admire" Tessa answered looking out the window. "Nothings changed…" Tessa trailed off as they drove down the all too familiar roads.

"So tell me everything about you both!" Tessa said with a warm smile.

Allison and Lydia exchanged looks in the rearview mirror of the car.

"Well there's not really much to tell, but Im sure Lydia will keep you up all night and most of tommorrow talking about herself" Allison answered looking back at Lydia.

"Oh . Allison! If there is one thing I can tell her that you clearly cant its about how to accesorise!" Lydia shot back returning Allison's look "Seriously. We live pretty boring lives…High School…enough said," Lydia answered sheepishly.


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Tessa looked around at her surroundings she had ditched her jacket and taken her seat at a table. She was really here with her brother and her new friends. She turned and looked around her nothing really had changed.

"So Tessa, what's Cuba like?" Lydia asked intently.

"Well it's actually rather interesting...Cuba put its embargo in place in the 50's so it lost contact with a lot of modern things so when you go there, it's like stepping back in time. Everyone keeps these vintage things up and running so very little of the cars that are kept well are really dilapidated. Its like a time warp. I lived in Havana but I also made regular trips to Santiago de Cuba which has the most amazing night life." Tessa explained.

"Wait. I thought Cuba was poor…" Lydia responded as Allison and Stiles did a facepalm.

"Well…Cuba may not be the richest country in the world but it is by far the most colorful! You don't have to be rich to know how to party. I'll have to show you ladies how we did it in the clubs in Cuba one day!" Tessa said making light Cubaton movements with her hips as she sat in her chair.

"Seriously?" Lydia asked excitedly.

"Sure. We can have a dance party! Allison?" Tessa asked with a goofy smile.

"Sure, but I'm warning you…I'm pretty bad…" Allison replied laughing.

"No,no,no…there are no bad dancers…just dancers who haven't met me" Tessa responded dramatically when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

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Jackson Whittemore was filling up his tank at the gas station when he ran into Sherriff Stilinski.

"Hey Jackson, how are you? Staying out of trouble?" The Sherriff asked in forced curtiousy.

"Hey Sherriff, just filling up." Jackson responded trying to keep his head down as Derek instructed him.

"What are you up to tonight?" The Sherriff continued.

"Not much, you?" Jackson answered making polite conversation.

"Probably head home. Tessa is back in town." The Sherriff answered.

"Tessa? She used to be my Nanny during the summer…since I was 9" Jackson said in genuine surprise.

"Well she and Stiles are at the Pizza place by our house…" The Sherriff began as Jackson paid for his gas at warp speed.

"I'm gonna head over now…" Jackson answered jumping into his Porsche and driving off doing his best not to speed.

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Stiles groaned inwardly when he saw Jackson behind her holding flowers and tapping on his sister's shoulder. Did Jackson really have the audacity to put the moves on his sister when she had been back less than 24 hours? Secondly how the hell did she know he was here? Then something amazing happened.

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"Jackson?" Tessa said looking up at him.

"The one and only," Jackson responded in typical Jackson form much to the visible disgust of Scott and Stiles, but Tessa was to busy to notice.

"Hello, my sweet boy." Tessa said gently in an all to familiar voice and wrapping her arms around Jackson (who was now notably taller than her) in a warm maternal hug as Jackson kissed her hair and closed his eyes, like in that moment he was a lttle boy again

"Look how much you've changed…" Tessa trailed off with misty eyes taking Jackson back into a hug.

"I missed you, Ms. Tessy," Jackson whispered before handing her the pink Peonies and white Roses.

"I missed you too, my sweet boy. They're beautiful…just like from our garden." Tessa mused as she looked down at her flowers.

"I still have it in the backyard…"Jackson replied as Tessa pulled up a chair for him.

"And I'm sure the gardeners take excellent care of it" Tessa replied (before anyone could beat her to the punch) as she ushered Jackson into his seat and got him a plate before smiling down at him.

"Does anyone else find this display sick and wrong?" Lydia said with a shake of her head.

"I was Jackson's Nanny during the day in the summer until I left," Tessa explained to the table.

"Why didn't I ever know about this?" Stiles asked in both shock and horror.

"Three words, love…Play. Station. 2." Tessa said reaching for another slice of pizza.

"That's two words and a number…" Stiles responded with his typical sarcasm.

"Would you have preferred I said swim suit edition?" Tessa answered back.

"Did you have to go there?" Stiles asked as the whole table laughed.

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_"Come for me, my love…Come for me, my love…" _

The words kept ringing in Derek's head as he ran from rooftop to rooftop in Beacon Hills. Derek knew he was close to Stiles he stopped and leaped down off the roof of a pizza place and into an alley.

"I've missed you too, my sweet boy" He heard her voice. Was she real? No. The power was going to his head he was losing it. Before he could begin to fully question his sanity he heard her again

"Just like from our garden…"

That was her, it had to be or he needed to take some wolfsbane.

As he contemplated he looked up to see his pack sitting at a dinner table inside the restaurant. Derek went in trying to remain unknown to the rest of his pack, but listening to her voice the whole time. Derek chuckled as he listened to her she was funny, Stiles's sister, and…ballerina from Cuba…it would explain why she was so quick to pick up the stroke, and those beautiful legs that were just wrapped around his waist tonight while he had her pinned up against a wall playing 'Little Red Riding Hood'

Flashback:

_(She wore her red coat with her hood up in whe she made her way into Hale House. Candles lit the place up. _

"_Hello, Grandpa are you home?" She called to him. _

"_Yes, dear come on in to see me…" Derek trailed off_

"_Mother told me you weren't doing to well so I brought some goodies to help you feel better" she said as she unbuttoned her coat for him revealing the red lace underneath of it. _

"_Thank you, why don't you come in and bring them to me" as Derek sat there in his wolf form not the Alpha form but his own. As he sat there in pajama pants and a hoodie with his hood up._

"_Grandpa, what big eyes you have" as she took off her hood, and dropped her coat_

"_All the better to see you with my dear…" Derek said as he looked up at her just enough to see her bra and panties. _

"_Grandpa, what big teeth you have…" She said gently stepping back a step as Derek stood up and dropped his hoodie revealing his form, but she wasn't frightened of him. _

"_All the better to eat you with my dear!" As he picked her up by her backside holding her with one arm as he cut her panties off with his claw on the other, and pining her against the wall in human form and kissing her roughly before he….)_

"_Derek, you are a sick, sick bastard"_ He thought to himself as he read over his menu and contemplating actually ordering something. Then he picked up her scent. She was a virgin, just like in his dreams…this was her scent…Lilac, Nectarine, and Virginity.

He turned around to see her. She was sitting between Stiles and Jackson, and across from Lydia who was blocking her face from his view. Jackson got up to pay the bill for her, and they all got up to leave. She hugged them all, said she would see Allison and Lydia tomorrow after work, and got into the car with Stiles and Lydia. She was letting Lydia sit up front…dammit.

Derek had to be 100% positive, he had to see her face. He followed Stile's Jeep all the way home. The Sherriff wasn't home yet, perfect. He watched her enter the house on the other side of Stiles and enter the house. He watched from the windows as she traveled through the darkness with her duffle bag and into the bathroom. Derek took perfect timing and managed to get in through her french door style window leaving her sheer curtains hanging in the breeze window.

He looked around her room it was a lot different from the one in his dream. Her walls were white, her furniture was a dark wood finish, and her large bed was in the center of the room. However, her dresser was a vanity all of her perfumes and make-up were laying in one part and a silver jewelry box on another. _"To Tessa Marie, My little treasure,Daddy Loves you always" _

Tessa, the name fit her…Tessa. There were pictures in the middle: Some of dancing in recitals, Others of Stiles and her as children, and what looked to be her mother and father's wedding. He could smell the flowers Jackson gave her, and it was sitting next to a picture of her and a young Jackson. It was her…She was the woman from his dreams her scent was all around this room. Before he could get to the window he heard Tessa's feet pad across the hall to her room.

Derek made it behind the door as she walked into the room in a long emerald colored bathrobe and her hair pulled up in a twist. He watched as her hair came down, so did her robe to reveal a matching nightgown that came down to her knees, but fit her beautifully. The fabric was thin, and most likely built for a hot night in Cuba. Derek had to stifle a groan as his dreams came flooding back to him…oh god…it was her. He mentally cursed himself for leaving the window open when he saw her shivering only to notice that the window was open.

"What in the?" She thought out loud with a deep sight. "Stiles told me he would fix that damn latch before I got home…" Tessa finished as she got the window to shut and lock as she ran her hands up and down herself to get warm. He could see the goosebumps on her soft skin, and her nipples harden beneath the thin fabric of her gown. Then the one thing Derek didn't want to happen, happened Tessa shut the door.

As soon as Tessa saw him she stumbled back trying to take in the air that seemed to be leaving her. He couldn't smell her fear, but he could hear her pulse race in shock.

"Tessa, Tessa I'm not going to hurt you. Please don't scream...My name is-" but before he could finish he was cut off by her raspy whisper.

"Oh my God. Oh my God….You're real…" Tessa whispered before she fainted.

Derek caught her before she hit the ground, but he wasn't going to leave her tonight without getting some answers.


	5. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"_Easy, Tessa. I promise I won't hurt you."_ She heard the man from her dreams speaking to her. She was still trying to focus on him.

Her vision was finally beginning to clear. It really was him, sitting at the foot of her bed.

"This is going to sound crazy, but I trust you. It's ok. I'm not afraid…I just can't believe it's really you. This will sound completely bizarre but I have these dreams about you…I thought you were some figment of my imagination." She said groggily rubbing her eyes. When she looked up he was standing at her side taking her into his arms and laying her up against the pillow so that she could sit up She ushered Derek to a seat across from her as she pulled her legs up to her.

"You know my name what's yours? Do I know you somehow?" Tessa asked gently.

"My name is Derek Hale, and I don't think so…if we had…I'm sure I would have remembered it," Derek responded.

` "When you dream of me, what are we doing?" Tessa asked.

"Um…you first." Derek answered not wanting to upset her with the dirty details of his dreams.

"Well…we're" Tessa trailed off blushing furiously; she couldn't even look him in the eye.

"We're doing things; I don't even know how to do…" Tessa answered doing her best to look him in the face.

"Like?" Derek pressed wanting to hear what he was assuming from her lips.

"Like…last night…we-we were…god this is so embarrassing you are going to think I'm a whore…" Tessa began her blush increasing "You were making love to me, and not…lifetime movie love making you tore my nightgown off of me while I was straddling you. It's so vivid. It's what happens every time I fall asleep. I always see you its different situations and different moods. Sometimes we're making love, and other times we are really…going at it. It's the same for you isn't it?" she finished finally able to look him in the eye.

"Yes, and I don't think you're a whore. I thought I was going crazy. Mine were very…intense" Derek trying to explain Cumming after 90% of his dreams. "I'm probably going to dream of you tonight" He finished.

"Well I would think so…" Tessa said with a light laugh.

"Tess!" Sherriff Stilinski called as he knocked on the door. "I heard you talking to someone…do we have a guest?"

Tessa looked at Derek and signaled for him to be quiet as she picked up her phone. Off of her dresser and opened the door.

"No Daddy, I was talking to Leighton on speaker phone…see" She said holding up her open Droid.

"Hiii" Leighton said from the the other end of the phone.

Tessa had to fight not to laugh at her father's disgruntled face.

"Uh. Hey Leighton..." Stiles trailed off.

Tessa gently shut her phone, pulled it to her chest, and covered the receiver.

"I'm so sorry, Daddy. I didn't mean to be so inconsiderate. I was getting ready for bed and talk to Leighton at the same time, I really was doing my best to be quiet to be quiet from here on out" Tessa said with a gentle smile.

"Alright, Tess, Sleep tight." Stiles said as he turned to leave.

"You too, love you! Ok what were you saying?" Tessa said as she shut and locked her door, and put her phone away breathing a sigh of relief.

"I thought I was going to have to asked him for a warrant" Tessa whispered as she made her way back to Derek who was giving her raised eyebrows.

She opened her phone to show him her screen with a recording app with a recording entitled "Leighton drunk 1"

"Leighton is one of my dance partners from the company; He and his boyfriend Marco had a thing for using the voice recorder when he's drunk.

"…Oh…Good thinking..." Derek responded as she took her seat back beside him.

` "So…you got in through the window, huh? I told Stiles to fix it, but I guess never got around it. Someone really dangerous could have broken in." Tessa said as she turned to look at him.

"You don't think I'm dangerous?" Derek asked smirking to himself.

"I would like to think that I don't have dirty dreams about dangerous men that I've never met before," answered smiling up at him "I guess I'm trying to understand why they happen in the first place," continued.

"I can't think of any reason either, but I think we better find out why." Derek stated honestly.

"I couldn't agree more, I have no idea why this is happening but I can't say I mind the fact that I met you, though." Tessa said with a smile.

"Why?" Derek asked looking at her not wanting his face to show his genuine surprise.

"What woman or girl can say she literally go to meet and to talk to the man of her dreams? No matter how stoic he is" Tessa said with a light laugh.

"Well I'm no Prince Charming," Derek answered.

"Yea I should so, but I dream of you regardless. You don't seem like the big bad wolf though either" Tessa answered softly.

"Maybe I'm just not baring my fangs or sharpening my claws yet," Derek answered standing up and cracking his neck.

"You are so set on staying stony faced aren't you? Tessa shot back at him.

"You are something else you know that? You are sitting here cracking jokes with the stony faced man who broke into your bedroom, for all you know I could be some crazy stalker, or a serial killer" Derek stated in amazement at the girls nerve.

"Well the way I figure, I'm going to believe you when you say you wanted answers because of the rather strange circumstances between us. Secondly, when I was passed out you had every opportunity to do what you would with me. Also, if you wanted to kidnap, ravage, and/or kill me you would have done it by now rather than catch me, lay me on my bed, and talk to me about all the dirty things we did in dream land without trying to do the real thing…" Tessa responded reasonably "Also, when has any part of what is going on right now normal?"

"Touché," Derek answered she was bold, but not naïve.

"If you want, we can meet tomorrow and discuss this further. You can even stop by my room again if you like?" Tessa said waggling her eyebrows. "I have an early morning tomorrow, and I'm sure you do too

"I work at the Wellington dance academy right by the high school, my number is on the back of my card or you can just stop by."Tessa said as she walked him to the window with him.

"Alright, I'll let you know" Derek said with a nod of his head and reached for the latch before Tessa gently stopped touched his arm.

"I'm pleased to meet you Derek," Tessa whispered as she kissed his cheek and opened the window. "Oh and try and keep it tasteful tonight" she finished with a wink.

"Nice to meet you too, Tessa. I could say the same for you…" Derek responded as he made his way out the window.


	6. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"_Come for me, Derek, my love…" _

Tessa woke early the next morning with a smile on her face. Something about meeting Derek helped her cope with the insane dreams. After cleaning up, washing her face, and putting on her bathrobe, she went down stairs to make a big breakfast while humming a tune.

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The patriarch of the Stilinski clan came down the next morning to see his daughter standing at the stove cooking omelets.

"Morning, Daddy." Tessa trailed off as she handed him a cup of coffee and his omelet.

"Where's your brother?" Sherriff Stilinski asked with a sip of his coffee.

"I woke him up ten minutes ago, and poked at him another 5 minutes ago. He should be coming down the stairs in 3…2…1…" Tessa finished as Stiles came down the stairs like clockwork.

"Morning, Dad. Morning, Tessa…is that what I think it is?" Stiles asked as he peeked over the skillet only to have his hand slapped with specula.

"Yes it is, and don't even think about it…" Tessa warned playfully.

"You've fallen right back into things haven't you, Tessa?" Sherriff Stilinski asked as he put his belt and jacket on.

"I guess some things never, leave you…would you like some more?" Tessa asked with a deep breath and doing her best to ignore her father's coldness.

"No, Tess not this morning. We had another attack that I have to go check out. They think it might be an animal that had been running a little while ago." Sherriff Stilinski said with a sigh and taking a to-go cup that Tessa had pre-made.

"Really? Another one…did they say what happened?" Stiles asked innocently enough.

"Not in particular, but it was similar to the last few we had in the last few months, but things had been so quiet lately…I'll find out shortly. Thanks, Tess." Sherriff Stilinski said with a light pat on the back before walking out.

"Stiles look at the time…" Tessa said turning back to the skillet and taking a sip of her coffee.

"Dammit! I'm going to be late!"

"Not if you head out now" Tessa said as she handed Stiles his backpack and a wrapped up piece of wax paper and a bottle of OJ. "Bacon, Egg, and Cheese omelet croissant and OJ, I put your lunch in the bag, now go on" She finished gently.

"Thanks June Cleaver, Love you" Stiles said called behind him before heading out the door."

"Love you too, Beaver! Be safe!" Tessa yelled back as he drove away.

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"Really, are you sure?" Scott asked Stiles as he watched the other boy pull out his lunch.

"Yep. Dad said it was another 'animal' attack. Like the ones that had been happening a while back," Stiles replied as he emptied out the contents of his rather large lunch "Yea, that's exactly what he said. You don't think Derek could have done it do you? I mean he has acted a little bit more irritable since becoming the Alpha. I mean I don't think he would kill intentionally, but last night wasn't a full moon either," Stiles said in a hushed tone.

"To be honest with you, I don't know what Derek would and wouldn't do anymore." Scott said with a faraway look.

"Tessa sent these for you," Stiles said picking up on his friend's mood.

"Thanks…what is it?" Scott said snapping out of his thoughts and taking the hunk of wax paper Stiles handed him.

"Don't ask questions, just eat," Was Stiles answer as Scott unwrapped his brownies and took a bite out of his brownies.

"Oh sweet Jesus…" Scott said mid-chew.

"I know!" Stiles responded as he took a big bite of his homemade Macaroni and Cheese."Here, try some of this," Stiles continued signaling Scott to put his own fork in the Tupperware.

"What the hell?" Jackson said as he took a seat beside the boys. "Wait. I know that smell. Tessa made you lunch?" Jackson continued as he eyed Stiles with Envy.

"Yep, she sent these for you too. I would eat them, but Tessa would kill me if I did." Stiles said sliding the wax paper over to Jackson.

"She used to make these for me all the time!" Jackson said as he took a bite out of his brownie as he sat there a minute taking a deep breath as he chewed.

"Oooo Brownies!" Allison said reaching for Jackson's brownie.

"You touch, you die!" Jackson said as he snatched the brownie from her.

"She sent you both some too," Stiles said handing them off.

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Sherriff Stilinski stood over the body of an old unknown man at the crime scene with one of the Coroners.

"The man had his torn throat out. It looks to me like the animal used his teeth to do it, but there is something else interesting about it," The coroner continued pointing at the man's arms "Two claw marks at each arm, like he was either pinned down or held there. Whatever this thing was, it was accurate and big. No screams were heard by the neighbors. The animal acted efficiently, and it shows"

"It looks like a case of wrong time, wrong place…" Sherriff Stilinski said in a far away tone.

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"Marie and Honrado Dance Theater…This is the place." Lydia said pointing at the red brick building as the two girls watched teen girls in legwarmers and tight buns exit the building before the two entered themselves.

Allison and Lydia surveyed the purple walls of the waiting room. There were pictures of dancers and recitals both famous and within the Studio

"Look there's Tessa, Lydia" Allison said as she pointed to a picture of Tessa in a high attitude en Pointe in a red tutu with a matching tiara on her head, her arms delicately in high fifth position.

"There's no way that's her," Lydia whispered so as not to disturb the music.

"Look," Allison said pointing at the plate underneath the silver framed picture _"Tessa Stilinski. Ballet Nacional de Cuba" _Allison read.

"Wow she's so beautiful…" Lydia trailed off (where she would normally be making a snappy retort) looking at the picture of her dancing.

"Shh..Lydia come look at this…" Allison said as she motioned her to come to the cracked door.

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Tessa admired the room. It had been far too long.

She had taught two lyrical/jazz combo classes, and her last three had been pointe classes. She hadn't gotten her teaching shoes in the mail yet, so she was forced to 3, 1 hour classes in pointe shoes. Needless to say she was in pain, but it was a pain she was used to.

Dressed in a black camisole leotard with a low intricate back and black skinny knit rolled over pants with her favorite bright blue Pointe shoes, which one her many compliments from her students (and a few parents) she stood in the middle of the studio.

"Well…let's see if I've still got it…" Tessa said to herself as she turned on her music.

Tessa moved into fourth position en pointe and then à terre before returning back to fourth position en Pointe before moving into Fouetté prep and then fluidly into a Fouetté turn back towards the center of the room before moving into a relevé then an echappe.

Then as she stood in the center of the room she did a few pirouettes before finally trying out a string of Fouetté rond de jambe en tournants. With a deep breath, Tessa took one last pirouette before executing the famous 32 double fouettes from the famous Black Swan scene in Swan Lake with the same grace and confidence she had before she had when she was in the company. As she smiled at the mirror she heard clapping, and looked over to see Lydia and Allison.

"That was amazing!" Allison said in sheer admiration of the older woman.

"We aren't going to have to do that tonight are we?" Lydia asked with a smile.

"No…Not tonight anyways!" Tessa said with a wink as she introduced the girls to the wonderful world of Salsa and Cubaton.

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Derek stood in the studio lobby looking at all of the posters and pictures. He felt odd standing in the dance school as he looked up at the studio door listening to the fast paced Latin music, he read.

"_A Ballerina masks her strength with beauty, yet undoubtedly it is there." _

Was Tessa as strong as she was to him? He contemplated before seeing the silver frame of her dancing.

_"Beautiful…" _ Derek thought to himself when he heard the door open.

"Derek, what are you doing here?" Lydia and Allison asked in surprise.


	7. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Derek, what are you doing here?" Lydia and Allison asked in surprise.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm here to see a friend." Derek answered sharply, trying to cover his sheepishness.

"Who's here?" Tessa asked as she slipped into a black Shrug and walked out into the middle of the lobby "Oh, hi!" Tessa finished as she made her way toward Derek and giving him a light kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, you ready?" Derek asked picking up Tessa's scent mixed with…blood, and looking at Lydia because he knew she could smell it too.

"Yea just let me get into my other shoes…" Tessa said pulling out her dance bag, and getting situated on one of the couches "So how do you all know each other? Hey Allison will you pass me that black basin behind you on the desk?" Tessa finished as she began to untie her ribbons.

"Well…we hang out a lot. He hangs out with your brother a lot too." Lydia said eyeing Derek.

"Oh! You didn't tell me you were friends with Stiles, Derek." Tessa said looking up at him.

"It never really came up, I was hoping to get to talk to you more tonight…" Derek said to Tessa before shooting Lydia a stern glare that clearly said "Get out of my business, or we are going to have some problems."

"Oh god! Are you ok?" Allison gasped as she looked down at Tessa who was grimacing as she removed her Pointe shoe, convertible tights, and a raggedy toe pad to reveal a bruised and bloody toes foot.

"Yes…" Tessa gritted as she worked the kinks out and poured peroxide on her toes. "It comes with the Pointe territory. Pointe is 'lying with your body', but its normally not this bad. My toe pad wore through, and I was basically going without anything." Tessa explained as she packed her toe shoes back in her bag, and took a cloth to wipe down her toes.

"Are you a masochist or something?" Lydia asked "I mean how do you do that?"

"You wouldn't believe how many times I've been asked that, and no I'm not. I'm a dancer. Pointe is something you have to love dance to do. I happen to love dance a lot," Tessa said with a laugh.

"Obviously…" Lydia said watching Tessa bandage her toes and slip on some flip flops, the smell of Tessa's blood fading. She looked up at Allison, who had also noticed Derek watching Tessa intently.

"I'm ok now," Tessa said as she placed put the basin on the end table of the couch she was on, and rose to get her grey coat only to find Derek behind her holding out for her.

"Oh. Thank you." Tessa said in surprise as he helped her with her coat. "I had a lot of fun, girls!"

"Oh! We did too! Right, Lydia?" Allison said trying to mask her surprise and curiousity with enthusiasm.

"…Yea, but I don't know how good I looked." Lydia answered truthfully only less subtle with her surprise and curiousity.

"So what are you two up to tonight. It is a Friday?" Tessa asked going to reach for her bag only to find Derek holding it.

"We are going to see a movie and maybe some dinner," Lydia answered.

"Girls night?" Tessa asked.

"Double date…" Allison answered.

"Ah. You girls have fun." Tessa said as she watched the girls leave.

"Here let me lock up and then we can go," Tessa said turning to Derek who was holding the keys.

"I took care of it, dinner sounds good." Derek said as he picked her up bridal style to get her off her feet as Tessa gave a little gasp of surprise.

"How did you…?" Tessa asked too surprised by the door to protest him holding her.

"Keys were on the end table. I wanted to get you off of your feet." Derek said as he got to the door and hit the lights.

"Well, that was very sweet of you-excuse me kind. The Big Bad Wolf is never sweet." Tessa said as Derek let the bottom half of her legs down just long enough to shut the door and hide his chuckle (and glowing eyes) before picking her back up again and carrying her to his car.

"No, but the Big Bad Wolf likes to make sure his meals aren't banged up either. I think I'll let you heal and get you nice and plump before I eat you." Derek said letting her down long enough to get the door for her.

"Ah I'll keep that in mind while Im eating. Where to?" Tessa asked with a laugh.

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"The Big Bad Wolf? You have _got_ to be kidding me!" Lydia said as she watched Derek and Tessa pull out of the parking lot.

"Is that what she called him? Oh God if she only knew…" Allison said with a laugh.

"Yea the Big Bad Wolf, do you think she knows? He was carrying her bridal style out the door of the studio because he wanted to keep her off her feet, and joking about him eating her…gross!" Lydia commented.

"I seriously doubt it, but I didn't even know they knew eachother…its only been a few days." Allison said thoughtfully.

"Stiles is going to flip!" Lydia said as they went there own way.

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"WHAT!" Stiles cried in the middle of the burger joint they were eating at.

"Calm down, Stiles. It might have been nothing!" Allison said gently.

"It's never nothing with Derek," Scott said almost darkly.

"He could have just been chivalrous. They were probably just going out to dinner, I don't even think she knows he's a werewolf, Stiles. Don't jump to conclusions." Lydia said trying to calm Stiles down

"What that Derek is going to plow my sister right before he bites her and then plow her again! Because that's the only conclusion I can see right now." Stiles said trying his best not to yell.

"Well maybe it's coincedence," Scott said reluctantly so that Stiles wouldn't do something stupid. "My mom told me that Tessa used to take care of children for the Hale family, maybe they were already friends. Have you thought about just asking her?"

"Of course he hasn't, he went into man mode, but can you blame him Scott?" Lydia asked "All of our lives have been turned up side down ever since we met Derek, I don't blame him for what happened to me. It was Peter's fault, but you have to admit…he was a side bonus."

"Lydia's right, but just talk to Tessa first, for her sake. She might actually just be friends with him. Maybe he actually does care about her. Do it for her, Stiles." Allison said trying to calm both men down.

"Fine, but I'm not letting him bite my sister, Allison. Especially after attacks have started up again." Stiles said like he had swallowed venom.

"Wait. What?" Allison said as Lydia choked on her diet soda.

"Yea. Dad was telling us about it this morning, some guy got his throat ripped out. Guess what that sounds like?" Stiles asked the girls.

"You don't think it was Derek do you?" Lydia asked.

"Who else could it be?" Scott asked the girls "I don't remember going after a human, a deer or two sure, but no people."

"Jackson, he still hasn't gotten full control of himself. I don't think I could have done anything, it wasn't a full moon." Lydia said thoughtfully.

"Well whatever's going on he's not coming near her" Stiles said as he paid the check.

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"Ya know, when you pulled into a hardware store, I thought you were crazy, but now I understand and I am so, so very sorry. This is the best Philly Cheesesteak ever! Thank you so much! How did you find it?" Tessa exclaimed as she took a long sip from her foam cup before placing it back in the cupholder of Derek's car as they sat under the light in a Lowe's parking lot.

"I was working on my house, and I was planning on getting food when I got back to the house. Then I could smell the food coming from Dominic's and the rest is history." Derek said as he swallowed a rather large bite of his sandwhich.

"Well es muy delicioso. The one thing I missed the most while I was away was American food. You do construction?" Tessa asked as she took another bite.

"No, I'm just doing a few repairs. My place is pretty beat up." Derek said thinking about the bullet holes and broken glass in Hale House.

"Hm. Is that the old grey place in my dream last night?" Tessa asked gently as she turned to him.

"Is that where your dream happened?" Derek asked as he turned to her.

"Uh huh. Apparently you really were the Big Bad Wolf, but I wasn't afraid." She said gently.

"No even though. You were Little Red Riding Hood?" Derek said with a lighter air about him than usual.

"I had the same dream before I saw you at the pizza place." Derek admitted.

"Ok this has crossed from weird into creepy" Tessa said as she blushed furiously at the memory of Derek's head in between her legs. _"All the better to eat you with my dear,"_

"You don't have to blush like that I saw everything you did. I think on some level I felt it too." Derek said bluntly.

"Do you think that maybe this is some sort of weird sign?" Tessa said shyly, but never breaking eye contact.

"What kind of sign?" Derek asked huskily.

"That maybe we should spend some more time together…" Tessa trailed off as she gave Derek a light kiss on the lips before Derek returned it with a little bit more confidence.

_"She tastes just like in the dream…"_ Derek thought as he let her scent take him over.


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Saturday Afternoon she found herself at one of the swankier restaurants in Beacon Hills. Jackson had pulled out all the stops to take his "surrogate mama" and Allison (Tessa would be staying the night with Allison to have a "Full Moon" party) to lunch.

"Get anything you want, I'm celebrating you coming back!" Jackson said looking genuinely kind and happy for once.

Allison couldn't help to be anything but floored by the true love Jackson had for Tessa and vice versa. For one moment she wished Scott had been there to see him.

"That's very kind Jackson; you didn't have to do this, sweet heart." Tessa said as she was squeezing his hand.

"I wanted to. I missed you. Remember when my parents brought me here for my tenth birthday, and I wouldn't go unless you came with me? You gave me our garden." Jackson said as he looked over the menu.

"Yes I remember that, we sat at that table right over there. You kissed my hand and told me we were getting married!" Tessa said before turning to Allison "You know how some children have teddy bears and security blankets?"

"Yea I used to have one, I named him Leopold." Allison answered with a laugh at her childhood memory.

"Well. Jackson refused to go anywhere without me. He called me Ms. Tessy." Tessa told her with a little twinkle in her eye.

"Ms. Tessy? Really Jackson?" Allison asked with a laugh.

"Yep. I called her Ms. Tessy! I'm not ashamed!" Jackson responded playfully.

"He gardened with me too." Tessa said "The Whittemores let me make a garden for Jackson in the back yard we had Vegetables and fruits on one side and Flowers on the other. We even had peanuts and a few cherry and plum trees. I used to catch him walking through the flower side eating strawberries from the other side, and there were always homegrown pumpkins at Halloween."

"It's still there too." Jackson said proudly.

"And I'm sure the gardeners take excellent care of it," Tessa shot back at him, but instead of making a smart retort he just laughed.

"Absolutely. I make sure no one messes with it. There's even an apple tree now." Jackson said continuing to rib her.

"You will have to take me there in the spring to show me," Tessa said with a smile "Maybe I can get you off your butt long enough to see what you remember."

"Is that a challenge," Jackson asked leaning over the table.

"I don't know you tell me…" Tessa answered as their food came.

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Jackson opened the door for Allison and Tessa and walked them to Allison's car.

"I'm glad I got to see you, you have my number. You call me any time." Tessa said giving him a warm hug and a kiss on the forehead. "I missed you too my sweet boy, _I love you always, and always and forever, no matter what, rain or shine, my sweet boy, you are always mine._"Tessa sang in his ear and held him tight.

"I love you too, Ms. Tessa." Jackson said whispering huskily as he kissed her hair and closed his eyes.

Allison watched the two intently, and was pretty sure she almost saw tears in Jackson's eyes.

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"Ya know, I like him better when you are with him, he's normally just a jerk," Allison said as they rode down the street.

"Hm. He was the same way when he was a child, his parents spoiled him rotten. I think they gave him things in the place of actual nurturing. When I came, I don't think he knew what to do. I was the first person whoever kept a firm hand with him. Why do you think I gave him the garden? To teach him the value of hard work. He threw tantrums and screamed, he was a little bastard, and some days I almost ripped my hair out. I think what got him is that I did something no one had ever done…loved him no matter what, and he loved me too. When I left him, it broke my heart, we both cried and cried…but he never knew that I cried too," Tessa said wistfully.

"Wow…" Allison said with raised eyebrows. "I was surprised you knew Derek, how did you two meet?"

"Believe it or not. Total chance. We ran into each other, started talking, and then we went out to dinner. He cracks me up, he's so stony-faced." Tessa said smiling at last night's events.

"How was that?" Allison asked nonchalantly.

"Really nice actually, he took me to a food stand outside of the hardware store so I could stay in the car and off of my feet and then we spent a lot of the night just talking." Tessa explained happily.

"Outside…..of a hardware store?" Allison responded incredulously.

"Yea. We sat in the parking lot and ate what were probably the most amazing Philly Cheese steak sandwiches ever. Then we talked until the cops made us leave." Tessa said with a giggle that they stopped kissing just before the cops told them to leave.

_Flashback:_

_The two pulled apart just before the flashlight was at Derek's driver side window._

_ "Shit," He grumbled as he rolled down the window. _

_ "Evening officer," Derek said conversationally "There a problem?" _

_ "This establishment closed about two hours ago. You two are going to have to vacate the premises" The police officer said in a tone that screamed 'unwarranted self-importance'. "Now you to kids get on home." He finished sternly. _

_ "Yes sir, we were just about to head home anyhow," Derek said as he started up his car and put it in drive. "I had a strong craving for bacon anyhow," Derek finished before he drove off._

"That actually sounds kind of fun…very Derek." Allison said vaguely.

"I'm excited to be staying with you; I've never had a 'full moon sleepover' before, or any sleepover for that matter." Tessa said changing the subject after Allison's odd comment as they pulled into Allison's neighborhood.

"It's ok me neither, so I guess we can have our first sleepover together," Allison said giving Tessa a genuine smile. _"She has no idea about anything…"_

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Chris Argent met the girls at the door.

"Hey sweetheart," Chris greeted her in a way that told her he was up to something.

"Hey Dad," Allison responded giving her father a suspicious look as he took Tessa's bag for her and ushered her inside.

"You must be Tessa, nice to meet you I'm Allison's father," Chris said as he outstretched his hand.

There was something about him that made Tessa weary, but took a deep breath and didn't miss a beat.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Argent." Tessa replied as she shook his hand and kissed his cheek as Mrs. Argent approached.

"You must be Mrs. Argent. It's a pleasure to meet you," Tessa greeted with an outstretched hand which Tessa shook and gave a kiss on the cheek.

"Hello, Tessa. We've heard so much about you! We're happy to have you," Mrs. Argent.

"I'm very happy to be here. Thanks so much for having me." Tessa answered softly.

"Not a problem. Would you like to take a seat?" Mrs. Argent asked, but Allison saved her.

"Actually Mom, I was just about to show Tessa where to put her things. Come on, Tessa"

"Oh don't let us stop you," Chris said as he unblocked the staircase.

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Allison and Tessa sat across from Mr. and Mrs. Argent at the dinner table.

"Tessa, I take it you eat meat?" Mr. Argent said passing her a plate of Hamburger patties to choose as her own.

"Yes, thank you" Tessa answered politely, not noticing the look Allison was giving her father and mother.

"You're Stile's sister correct?" Mrs. Argent asked taking a bite of her salad.

"Yes, I just came home a few days ago. Allison actually met me at the airport with Lydia and Stiles. The girls were kind enough to make me a 'Welcome Home, Tessa' sign." Tessa answered, feeling uneasy in the house already.

"Allison tells us you are a ballerina, and you were dancing abroad?" Mr. Argent asked watching the young women as she fixed her burger.

"Yes, I retired a few weeks ago to take a job here the Marie and Honrado Dance Theater, a part of the Wellington Dance Academy," Tessa answered taking a sip of her beer.

"Which company was you involved with France…Russia?" Mrs. Argent asked now showing genuine interest in Tessa's line of work, but Allison was beginning to pick up on Tessa's interrogation.

"Cuba actually, El Ballet Nacional de Cuba, it was some of the best years of my life. My last production was Don Quixote at the end of this past season. I was a Moorish Dancer." Tessa beamed.

Allison jumped in, in hopes of straying away from her parents questioning.

"I saw some of her pictures and watched her dance. She's amazing! She even taught me how to salsa (choosing to leave out the very sexual looking Cubaton for her father's benefit)" Allison said enthusiastically.

"That is a lovely dance," Mrs. Argent replied letting her feminine side take over.

"Let me teach you after dinner!" Tessa exclaimed with excitement much to Mrs. Argent's entertainment who couldn't help but agreed

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In the middle of the Argent living room, Tessa and Allison had moved back the couch to give the three women more room, and turning onto the Latin music channel on their television. Chris Argent observed Tessa and his wife and daughter who were eyeing him suspiciously.

Allison noticed her father watching, and took Tessa taking her flats of as an opportunity.

"Hey Tessa, how are your toes doing?" which got both of the Argents attention as Tessa removed her flats slowly, and just as she had hoped last night's injuries were still there and quite apparent. Tessa had removed the bandages revealing her cuts and bruised toes, one of which looked like she had to burn part of the toenail off.

"Oh dear, what happened?" Mrs. Argent asked as Mr. Argent walked closer to see.

"When I dance on Pointe, I have to wear a toe pad between the box of my Pointe shoe and my toes to help keep my toes from hurting. Well, I hadn't started to unpack yet so I took my old toe pads. They were already raggedy, so when I was teaching Pointe for 3 hours you can imagine how worn through a worn down piece of cotton and fabric can get" Tessa explained as she flexed and pointed her toes.

"I was there last night; her toe shoes looked like a crime scene." Allison added giving her father a "See can you leave her alone now look".

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Chris Argent watched Tessa and the rest of his family. Tessa was the one, but she remained untouched much to his relief, Chris liked Tessa, she was a good girl. Tonight was the full moon, and he was keeping her safe.

"Ok, now…right foot back, left foot forward right foot back, and left foot forward….good. Now put your hips into it!" Tessa said as she stood by Mrs. Argent doing the moves alongside her and Alison.

"Go, Mom!" Allison encouraged as Mrs. Argent turned to Tessa who began to lead and teach turns.

Allison saw her father observing even after proving that Tessa was human. What was he up to?

"Chris, come on over." Mrs. Argent called to Mr. Argent.

"Oh no," Mr. Argent said as he threw his hands up.

"Uh uh, come on, Dad!" Allison said as she grabbed her father's arm and took him onto the middle of the carpet.

"Fine. Fine." Mr. Argent said as Tessa took him by his index and middle fingers, but before Tessa could say "Here's what you do". Chris Argent did they moved his feet to the music before turning Tessa twice and awkwardly dipping her much to his wife and daughter's amusement.

"Now ladies, I have to go to work." Mr. Argent said as soon as he noticed that the sun was going down.

"Dad works nights," Allison explained as they told Mr. Argent good-bye

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The powerful beast tore through the woods of Beacon Hills searching for her scent. She would be his. Every instinct in his body was telling him to claim her as he finally caught it. She was in the Argent home of course. She was dancing happily. Tonight was the night.

Tonight was the night as he stalked the house only to find mountain ash. The hunter was smart, but she had to leave sometime.


	9. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Allison woke to the sound of the Law and Order "doink-doink" coming from Tessa's phone. She picked up the phone to put it on vibrate when she saw an interesting conversation.

_1 NEW TXT MESSAGE_

_From_

_Derek (BBW): _

_Morning, Little Red Riding Hood. (8:30am)_

_888_

_To _

_Derek (BBW):_

_ Good Morning, Wolf man. Hungry? (8:35am)_

_888_

_1 NEW TXT MESSAGE_

_From _

_Derek (BBW): _

_Very. Feed me. (8:40am)_

_888_

_To_

_Derek (BBW): _

_Did I feed you last night? (8:55am)_

_888_

_1 NEW TXT MESSAGE_

_From_

_Derek (BBW):_

_I don't know. I didn't sleep much. You tell me. (9:30am)_

_888_

_To_

_Derek (BBW):_

_Yes…Can you hear me blushing?_

_You have such big ears (9:35am)_

_888_

_1 NEW TXT MESSAGE _

_From_

_Derek (BBW): _

_All the better to hear you blushing with, my dear. (9:37am)_

_888_

_To _

_Derek (BBW): _

_Seriously, why couldn't you sleep? (9:40am)_

_888_

_1 NEW TXT MESSAGE_

_From_

_Derek (BBW):_

_Don't worry about it. I just had some insomnia. _

_Believe me; I wanted to get to sleep, _

_For more reasons than one. (9:49am)_

_888_

_To _

_Derek (BBW): _

_Why? (9:50am)_

_888_

_1 NEW TXT MESSAGE_

_From_

_Derek (BBW): _

_Well. Sleep is vital for focus and concentration._

_It's important for one's health as well. (9:53am)_

_888_

_To _

_Derek (BBW): _

_Those are the only reasons?(9:54am)_

_888_

_1 NEW TXT MESSAGE_

_From _

_Derek (BBW): _

_Of course not. _

_I happen to have these dreams._

_There is a beautiful Ballerina with green eyes. _

_She drives me crazy. (10:15am)_

Allison could hear Tessa in the shower…_"Holy Shit"_ Allison thought as she shut the phone.

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When Allison went downstairs Tessa was showered, dressed and talking to Chris Argent.

"Morning," Allison said as she grabbed some fruit and a croissant and sat down, with the two of them.

"Morning, your dad was just telling me about all of the wild animal attacks. There was another one this morning when my father called the house." Tessa said as she put a slice of cheddar on a piece of croissant and ate.

"Really?" Allison asked as she visibly perked up.

"Yea in the woods maybe 15 miles off from here, on a hiking trail." Chris said.

"You got some calls upstairs too," Allison said to see Tessa's reaction. She wasn't disappointed.

"Oh. From who?" Tessa asked as she took another bite.

"Derek," Allison answered nonchalantly as Tessa choked on croissant.

"Hale?" Chris asked as he perked up noticeably.

"Yes, we went to dinner the other night." Tessa answered with a sip of her coffee.

"How well do you know him?" Chris asked.

"We're just talking, nothing too major." Tessa said honestly.

"Hm. No dates anytime soon?" Chris asked in a joking tone as he got up from the table.

"No, we're just friends." Tessa said as she picked up her dishes.

"Well you two girls have a good day; I have a few errands to run." Chris said as he grabbed his keys.

"Ok Tessa, we need to talk. Come on." Allison said in a whisper.

"About what?" Tessa asked as Allison handed her, her coat and purse before taking her own and walking out to the car.

"What is going on with you and Derek? I came across a text from him and you're definitely more than friends. Before you say anything, I know I invaded your privacy and I'm really, really, really sorry. I have to know." Allison asked as she started the car and began to leave the neighborhood.

"Why?" was all Tessa said.

"Why?" Allison responded.

"Why do you need to know? Give me a straight answer, and maybe we'll talk." Tessa answered calmly.

"Derek is shady, Tessa. I don't 'OMG, he is so shady!' I mean 'We the jury find the defendant' shady. Not only that, but if your dad or Stiles find out they will flip, Tessa. I just want you to be careful with him, ok." Allison said trying to explain Derek without spilling beans, or looking like she smoked crack.

"Do you really want to know?" Tessa asked with a deep sigh.

"Yes. Please." Allison answered.

"Derek and I…you are going to think I'm crazy but I swear its happening. For the last month or so, we've been dreaming of each other." Tessa murmured.

"Dreaming of each other?" Allison asked Tessa was right she did sound crazy, or at least she would to someone who wasn't from a family of werewolf hunters.

"Yea we have dreams about each other, the exact same, vivid as if it were real life dreams. It's always different, but it always ends the same. I want him to come for me. I say 'come for me, my love' even though I hardly know him." Tessa explained.

"What are you doing in the dream?" Allison asked, really paying attention now.

"We're…we're…havingsex" Tessa said cutting off the last part.

"I'm sorry, you're what?" Allison asked trying to get what Tessa was saying.

"We're...havingsex" Tessa repeated a little bit louder.

"I. Can't. Hear. You." Allison repeated with a sigh.

"That's bullshit. You heard that." Tessa replied.

"Oh for Christ's sake! We're having SEX! OK! WE ARE HAVING HARDCORE DIRTY WILD SEX! IF HE ISN'T DOING THINGS I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW EXISTED…he's making love to me, real, warm, sweet love. It's the kind of love making most women dream their first time would be."

"You're a virgin?" Allison said in surprise.

"I just told you something, I have NEVER told anyone, and that is all you have to say. For your information, I am a 23 year old virgin who dreams about sex with the same man, who actually exists, every single night. Neither one of us knows what's happening, but when we touch, I don't know." Tessa responded.

"I'm sorry, that's just a lot to take in." Allison responded with a deep breath.

"Yeah you're telling me." Tessa answered with sarcasm.

"Are you in love with him," Allison asked gently as they pulled into a spa parking lot.

"I don't know but there is something there. I feel like there is this crazy connection with him I can't explain it, and I can't stop thinking about him. Do you think I'm crazy?" Tessa asked lightly.

"Oddly enough no, I don't think you're crazy, but the situation definitely is. You two will figure it out. Now come on, I think we both need to relax." Allison said as she led Tessa to a spa.

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God she was beautiful. He would have her. It was all a matter of time. Her long brown hair would be fanned out over his pillows, their children would have her green eyes, and she would love him for all time. No one would stop him from having her.

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"Thanks Allison," Tessa said as she stood out in front of the studio after the two girls picked up her bag and phone from the house after a day at the spa.

"No problem, everything will be alright." Allison said as she watched Tessa go inside the studio.

Allison didn't have the answers, but she knew someone who did.

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"Dad, I think there is something going on with Tessa and Derek, and it's beyond dating." Allison exclaimed as she walked into his office.

"I know I saw her text messages. Did she say anything about consistent dreams where they are having sex?" Chris answered as he stood up from his paperwork.

"Yea. How did you know? Neither one of them has any idea what's going on, but I think that Derek has a better idea then Tessa. She said at the end of every dream she wants him to come for her," Allison explained confirming her father's suspicions.

"I had a feeling she was the one, some werewolf species have a pre-determined mate that is chosen for each werewolf that ascends to Alpha. The ascension sends out a beacon to the other, i.e. the dreams, they give little hints of the roles they will play to each other and where the other is. I can't tell you anything about the relationship between the two, but the bond is unbreakable. It's sealed by the bite and consummated by sex, so all the other wolves know that he/she belongs to said Alpha. Did she tell you if she was a virgin or not?" Chris asked intently.

"Yes, she's a virgin. What does that have to do with anything?" asked Allison.

"It's confirmation, she's Derek's mate." Chris answered bluntly.

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Tessa read her text from Derek and smiled.

_To _

_Derek (BBW): _

_You have excellent taste in women. (8:30pm) _

Tessa ditched her Pointe shoes, for leather slippers as she began to stretch.

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Derek kept fighting for control of himself, but his workout wasn't helping him. All he could think about was Tessa, his ballerina. Hm. When had he ever thought of her as his? He hardly knew her, but she was his. He thought of stealing her back to his family's home and making their dreams come true. He thought all the ways he wanted to…his phone.

"Yea." Derek answered.

"Derek, Chris Argent." Chris said stiffly.

"Nice to hear from you Chris, I'm assuming this isn't a social call." Derek shot back in the same strictly business tone.

"If only. We just had Tessa at the house a few last nights, sweet girl. She is a beautiful dancer too." Chris continued he could practically hear him gritting his teeth through the phone.

"Whatever problems you have with me or my family, leave her out of it. You stay away from her." Derek all but growled.

"I know about the dreams, Derek. Tessa told Allison." Chris explained.

"What do Tessa and my private business have to do with any of this? That is between us." Derek said getting more irritated by the minute.

"My sources tell me that Tessa's name has been thrown around a pack that is moving toward California. Their Alpha is looking for a virgin mate. From what I understand of the lore concerning the dreams you two have been having Tessa is yours. This particular pack has a history of stealing things that don't belong to them, so watch out for her." Chris informed Derek

After a few moments of silence Derek spoke.

"Alright. Anything else I should know?" Derek asked as his eyes glowed red.

"You're right when you said that the dreams were you and Tessa's business. I agree it is, but when another pack comes and starts killing innocent people and threatening Tessa's safety that is when I get involved. We've already had several killings so far; I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. Keep Tessa safe, after all it is a full moon. I'll be in touch." Chris finished.

"I'm looking forward to it," Derek finished as he hung up the phone and headed for the door, his eyes glowing red.


	10. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

One thing that Tessa loved about her old Ballet company was all the beautiful costumes and first rate Ballet masters and mistresses. One thing she hated about the companies strict policies on practice wear. How could a country so lush with color have such a bland classroom: Full body convertible tights, black short or long sleeved leotard, pink or nude toe shoes or slippers (depending on class)? Black wrap around dance skirts Hair must be back in a tight low bun, no hair coming out. Had Tessa been dancing long enough to be aware that the dress code was a standard operating procedure in all companies? Abso-effing-lutely! Did she like it? Hell no! So, tonight was her night to rebel in a studio by herself.

The very front portion of her hair was twisted back with a small barrette so that she could turn but the rest was flowing down her back. Rather than tights and black leotards, she wore a red halter bra top with a sweetheart neckline, matching v-cut short jazz shorts, and no tights. She could feel the cool wall on her skin as she did her split wall stretches up against it, then testing her work to the sounds of "I Will Survive" before finishing with a six o'clock and walking to the stereo.

Tonight it was all about contemporary music and Pyrotechnics as her music played!

_*Opening piano*_ (Knee drop to shoulder roll)

_First I was afraid_ (to Fish roll flop to Toe rise)

_I was petrified_ (to Back Bend to back walkover)

_Kept thinking I could never live_ (Calypso Leap turn to foutte prep to sachet to gran jete)

_Without you by my side_ (Side leg hold turn)

_But I spent so many nights_ (Les seconde turn, Les Seconde turn)

_Thinking how you did me wrong_ (Les seconde turn to illusion)

_I grew strong_ (sachet straight leap to Side Leap.)

_I learned how to carry on_ (Stag leap to turn to foutte turn)

_And so you're back_ (double foutte, foutte turn)

_From outer space_ (double foutte, foutte turn)

_I just walked in to find you here_ (Fan kick and Release to Fan Kick and Release to Turning Firebird leap)

To find you here (to Sachet to switch firebird leap)

_With that sad look upon your face_ (to knee drop to toe rise to Gran jete to pirouette)

_I should have changed that stupid lock_ (sachet to Surprise Leap to fouette turn, foutte prep)

_I should have made you leave your key_ (Turning Second position jump to roll to toe rise)

_If I had known_ (to back bend roll over to toe rise)

_For just one second_ (to sachet to straight leap)

_You'd be back to bother me_ (Switch leap to Attitude turn to Arabesque)

_Oh no not I_ (to turn to pirouette, pirouette)

_I will survive, I will survive._ (Fouette, double fouette)

Then a red glow made her stop mid-turn….Something wasn't right. All of a sudden a sinking feeling hit her…she was being watched.

Tessa ran from the glass, hoping that she wasn't panicking, and shutting and locking the metal studio door behind her. Tessa ran for the schools' door, but remembered she'd locked the dead bolt. She was suddenly regretting her choice of dancewear as she grabbed for her ballet sweater and phone from her purse.

Thinking quickly she hit her father's speed dial. Voicemail.

Stiles? _"Come on. Come on. Come on." _She thought to herself as she listened to the phone ring…Voicemail.

Derek? Something inside of her was screaming to call him.

Ring 1, Ring 2 _"Please God let him answer…"_

"Hello?"

"Derek?" Tessa asked in a shaky voice. Right before she heard the steel door outside of the school crunch. She knew the door was her only way out, but luckily there was the supply closet, and she ran for it. She was fiddling with the lock as she tried to hold her phone, knowing that Derek was her only lifeline. She made it just in time for her to make it inside, lock, and dead bolt the steel door.

"Tessa?" Derek answered sounding concerned "What's going on?"

"I'm at the studio, there is something outside, and it's trying to beat down the door." Tessa said in terror. Derek could practically hear the sobs coming.

"Listen to me. Stay quiet, don't speak, and don't move. I will be there in a moment." Derek whispered as he hung up the phone.

Tessa stayed perfectly still in her little corner between the tin soldiers and the furnace, right beneath the rack of costumes perfectly hidden. Just in time to hear the steel door crunch.

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"_Go on now go walk out the door  
>just turn around now<br>'cause you're not welcome anymore  
>weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye<br>you think I'd crumble  
>you think I'd lay down and die<br>Oh no, not I, I will survive"_

As silly as it was, Tessa sang the words to herself as she listened to heavy footsteps of whatever was out there. There was no crashing or roaring, like it was there for a purpose.

Then the lights went out.

_"I will survive…I will survive…I will survive"_

Tessa hated the dark.

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Tessa didn't know it, but Derek heard the door. He practically did a reverse 180 on the road (luckily there were no cops on that particular road). Derek saw the lights of the theater, and parked in an empty space a block down. Before he hit the roof at full wolf.

When Derek got there it was pitch dark. Derek surveyed the place with expert care, and attention to detail. After all, he had a mate to protect now. Derek saw the broken locks on the door, whoever did this kept it clean. Easily a break-in gone wrong. Not a single thing was touched; if it weren't for the scent of the other wolf he would have thought it was a robber too. Whatever it was was long gone. Tessa's scent was vague. Had the son of a bitch taken her? No, no sign of a struggle. He saw the utility closet, huge dents were in the door. As he stepped closer, her smell became stronger, her heartbeat was weak.


	11. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Derek kicked open the door in one try as he dug through tulle and plywood, her scent becoming stronger and stronger until he found her. Derek let out a deep sigh as he picked her up in his arms and looked her over, not a scratch. Tessa had fainted.

"You're safe now." Derek said as he heard her moan.

"You came for me, my love," She giving he a groggy hoping he would get the dream reference, before she threw her arms around him and began to sob.

Derek stood there holding her after she passed out again. He kept holding her until the Sherriff himself told him to put her down.

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Tessa woke in the back of the ambulance.

"Derek? Where is Derek" Tessa asked the paramedic that was checking her blood pressure groggily as she looked up to see that the doors were still open and she was still at the studio.

"You mean the gentleman who was with you when the police arrived?" The paramedic questioned as he adjusted the seat se she could sit up.

"Yes Derek. Derek Hale" She said beginning to worry.

"He's over there. The police are taking him in. He's over there.

"What?" Tessa cried somewhere between furious and appalled as she ran for her father and the other cops with him.

"Don't you dare touch him. Don't you dare touch him! He didn't do anything wrong" Tessa almost screamed (at least in comparison to her normally gentle tone).

"Tessa, we found him with you in a very compromising position while you were passed out, and the place was clearly broken into! Look at you, you're half naked!" Her father answered in a tone that he would use with a child.

"First of all, my choice in dancewear is my business and GASP I'm still fully clothed. Secondly, Derek saved me! I was locked in a closet and fainted when whoever did this started banging on the door! He was protecting me. I called him when I heard whoever got into the door banging on it, and don't you dare for one moment give me the 'well why didn't you call me' crap because I did! I called you AND Stiles although I don't know how much good he would have done me. Derek SHOWED UP and DEREK protected me. He chased off whoever was there." Tessa said speaking calmly again but her emotion was clear. She was furious.

"Watch your tone," was all Mr. Stilinski said as he grabbed her arm to keep her away from Derek. "You're wound up, we're going to go home so you can get some rest and then we will talk about this in the morning. Signaling two deputies to put Derek in the back of the police car.

"Clint. Rob. Don't you dare put him in the car?" Tessa commanded as she looked at her father defiantly before turning back to them. "I'm the owner of this establishment, and I refuse to press charges."

"Can she do that?" Rob asked looking at her father.

"No she's not the owner, Julius Honrado and his business partner Marie own it" Tessa's father replied having taken Tessa's defiance as an open challenge.

"I'm not pressing charges. You know the drill boys." Tessa said speaking like she was the Sherriff herself as she went back inside, and returned less than a minute later with a rose printed file folder and handed her father the paper work for the three of them to look over.

"There is the ownership to the studio and the deed to building, signed and notarized this morning. My former business partner, Julius Honrado retired to Miami and l bought his share of the business from him. I paid in cash." Tessa said sternly with an edge of satisfaction that not only did she protect Derek, but stuck it to her father as well.

"The name says Marie," Clint said looking for a loophole.

"Of course. Tessa MARIE Stilinski. I was in Cuba when this place opened I owned half Julius and I had always talked about it, but Julius was the heart and soul behind the studio. The only reason that Julius put my name on it was because he insisted. So I gave him my middle name." Tessa said crossing her arms and standing her ground practically baking in Derek's gaze as she stood in front of him (and it wasn't just her Jazz shorts)

"You never told me you owned a business." Sherriff Stilinski said in surprise at the revelations he was receiving at the hands of his daughter.

"That's because you don't give a damn." Tessa said calmly but bluntly, and for the first time in her life she said what she felt. "Now kindly hand me my files, take Derek's handcuffs off, and leave my property. I have had enough hell for one night."

Clint gave her a nod as he unlocked Derek's cuffs as Derek stood behind Tessa with his hand on the small of her back.

"Derek…" Tessa whispered as she threw her arms around his neck and held him tight. It took a moment for it to register that she was holding him before he let her scent take him and returned her warm hug. It had been a long time since he had been shown real affection.

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He cursed and roared. He was so close! His plan had almost worked! She protected her mate flawlessly. He wasn't expecting her to have the resources she did. She was cunning, and a quick thinker which made her her all the more appealing. Problem solving is an excellent skill to have.

Although, watching her move her body the way she did almost made him throw his plan out the window and take her plan. Her scent was intoxicating, and her body was gorgeous. If that motherfucker hadn't shown up he would have her underneath of him right now! Instead Derek Hale was the one with his hands on her. He was the one who dreamt about her body. His urge to kill was becoming stronger and stronger. It took everything in him to remain patient. He would have her soon enough. She wouldn't be able to fight her way out.

Sure, she would fight him at first, but she would grow to love him and desire him the way he did her. She would make such beautiful babies.

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Derek stood with Tessa at the studio after the police had reluctantly left.

"Derek. I can't believe you really came, I was so afraid. She said smiling up at him, but still shaking.

"Of course I came. There are a lot of things I have to tell you, but we've had a long night so this is all I'm going to say is this. You're mine now. I will fix the locks for you tomorrow, and I will be able to get the doors shut tonight." Derek said as he wrapped his arms around.

"Ok. All I want to do right now is sleep."

"I'll take you home." Derek said as he began walking her down the block.

"Just don't leave me tonight," Tessa said as she laced her fingers with his and held onto his arm.

"I won't," Derek said as he guided her to the Car.

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Luckily when Tessa got home her father was still out. After she took a shower and came back from her bathroom in her green satin bathrobe, Derek was standing at one of her walls looking at some of her picture frames. His leather jacket was draped over her vanity chair. She smiled at him gently as she came to him to see which one he was looking at.

"Ah that was my 16th birthday. Stiles gave me the flu, and an ITunes gift card." Tessa said with a laugh.

"Why am I not surprised?" Derek said back to her, not taking his eyes off the picture.

"How do you sleep?" Tessa asked as she moved her throw pillows on the side of her bed.

"I normally don't," Derek said truthfully.

"Well do what you normally do when you do sleep." Tessa said

Derek set his pillows the way he liked them, took his shirt off, and placed it over the chair.

Derek turned around to see that Tessa had dropped her bathrobe to reveal a white cotton night gown with pale yellow flowers on it. To a woman it would be pretty, to a man it would be dangerous. He could tell there were no intentions on her part, but he had to remain calm. She was brushing out her hair and taking deep breaths so that she could relax. She was calming to look at.

Tessa turned around to see that Derek had his shirt off and was getting comfortable in her bed. He was more beautiful than he was in her dreams. He was lying on his back with his hand behind his head. His shoes were off, but his jeans were still on. He wasn't under her covers so she stayed out too. Tessa snuggled up to lay on his chest after she had turned off the light.

"Good night, Wolf man." Tessa said as she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Night, Little Red Riding Hood." Replied as he turned on the side and draped his arm over and kissed her head as he ran his hands through her silky brown hair until he felt her relax in her arms. It was the first time in a long that a woman was sleeping in his arms.

This couldn't happen again. He wouldn't let, no matter what the cost. He almost lost her.


	12. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Tessa woke up the next morning two hours later than she normally would, under her blanket, and sans Derek, who had re-set her alarm clock so that she would sleep in.

_How did he know?_ She thought to herself as rubbed her eyes and turned off her alarm clock to find three things she wasn't expecting. Derek had left her presents. White roses and a purple flower she didn't immediately recognize but soon identified as Aconitum, a perennial shaped like Belles of Ireland, A velvet box, and a bottle of perfume. Each gift had a note on it.

Flowers.-_Keep these close to your bed._

Perfume-_Wear this ("very romantic, Derek" Tessa thought)_

Tessa saved the box for last. Inside was a beautiful oval locket with a coat of arms on it.

Locket-_Keep this close to your heart. _

Tessa smiled as she put her locket on and went downstairs to pack Stiles' lunch and make him breakfast before school.

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Tessa was zipping up Stiles' backpack and placing a warm blueberry muffin and a bottle of orange juice on the counter as she ate a muffin and OJ herself at the kitchen table in a pair of rolled over knit ballet pants, her hair in a messy bun, and an Oxford University zip-up hoodie that she had purchased when the ballet toured in England.

Parents at the studio had already been informed of the events that occurred the night before, and that no classes would be held today. Tessa had already gotten several phone calls from parents checking on her. Many understood and some were complaining that their child was missing practice time. The situation forced Tessa to have patience that (in regard to what had happened) she didn't have. Stiles pulled her out of her thoughts as he threw his arms around her.

"Dad told me what happened. Are you ok?" Stiles asked looking her over.

"I'm fine, Stiles. Derek came and chased whoever or whatever came to the studio off. Derek rescued me. Before you say 'Why didn't you call Dad?' I did. He didn't answer." Tessa said with a deep breath.

"That's why you called me too?" Stiles asked looking down before he caught sight of her locket.

"What's that?" Stiles asked pointing at her locket.

"What, my locket?" Stiles asked incredulously.

"No your left boob, of course your locket! Tessa that's the Hale family crest." Stiles said standing up from the table in masked horror.

"Oh Stiles, not you too!" Tessa said as she put her face in her hands. "You know what? I think it's beautiful! We will talk about this later. Look at the time."

"Dammit, I don't care about the time!" Stiles snapped at her.

"Don't you take that tone with me; grab your things and go!" Tessa snapped emphasizing the go.

Stiles knew to leave Tessa alone when she was snappy. This wasn't the time to be talking to _her_ about Derek.

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Now dressed in dark skinny jeans rather than knit pants, a tailored burgundy blazer and a tailored white low v-neck hip length cashmere blouse showing off her locket replaced her Oxford hoodie, and black wedged ankle boots replaced her bare feet.

Getting dressed always helped her calm down, it gave her a chance to breathe deeper. Now that she was finally by herself she was free to do so. She took deep breaths as she put her hair in a simple chignon and applied make-up. The scent of the perfume Derek had given her eased her senses, Lilac and Aconitum.

After having relaxed and gotten dressed, Tessa was ready to survey the carnage that was her studio. Tessa grabbed her purse and phone, but the doorbell sounded just before she reached it. With a deep sigh Tessa opened the door.

Tessa was greeted by Chris Argent.

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"Hi Tessa, I heard you had a scare last night, and Mrs. Argent and I wanted to check on you. You must be shaken up. We would love to take you to lunch." Chris said with a smile and noticing her locket.

Tessa took a deep breath before she answered.

"I'd love to, but I have to check the studio out. The doors were pounded in and the locks were destroyed." Tessa said as she bit her lip.

"We can stop there on the way; there is a great place right by there. Come on." Chris encouraged.

Tessa felt like she was in a warm presence for the first time all day.

"Are you sure?" Tessa asked as she stepped out of the doorway and shutting the door behind her.

"Sure, Mrs. Ardent is going to meet us there." Chris said catching the scent of her perfume as he opened the door of his burgundy SUV for her. Interesting.

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"Are you sure? Why would Tessa be wearing Derek's family crest?" Jackson asked as he was being brought up to speed on the whole situation.

"Apparently, they are pretty friendly. Tessa bailed Derek out of being arrested after her studio was broken there is something going on. I said something about the locket and she freaked out. Apparently, Dad got to her before I did. I'm going to find out what is going on." Stiles spat angrily.

"I talked to my dad…" Allison confessed.

"Oh yea Allison, great. Bring your dad into it so he can butcher her too. Your family has a penchant for doing that. "Stiles snapped as he got up from their lunch table.

"I was just trying to help. Tessa told me what was going on…My dad knew before I did." Allison said close to tears.

"It's ok, it's ok. Stiles are just really worried about Tessa." Lydia soothed "He was really freaked out, when he realized that she had called him because she had been attacked."

"Tessa and Derek are meant for each other. Literally. That's what my dad told me. He said he was staying out of it. Derek isn't responsible for the killings, in theory at least. "Allison explained.

"What is going on then Scott asked."

"Well Tessa and Derek…"

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The doors were shut and locked when she and Mr. Argent arrived at the studio. He was still on the phone with Mrs. Argent when she reached the purple door. The door had a huge dent in it and the hinges were ripped out of the door, or at least they were. When she reached for her keys she found an envelope with her new keys and a note inside.

_I'll be back for the doors tonight._

_-Derek_

Tessa turned the door knob to find that the studio was still in perfect condition, her file folder still on the office table. The studio door was still in good condition, but the utility closet was another story. The door was barely hanging on its hinges. There were three huge dents in it. Two near the door knob and one right in the center of the door.

"That's going to be a hell of a remodeling job," Chris said as he walked up behind her, eyeing the door intently.

"I know, but all isn't lost. I was looking to remodel any way," Tessa trying to keep her sense of humor as she looked as touched the door, and then placed her head in her hands as the tears finally came. Soon she felt Mr. Argent's arms encircle her.

"It's going to be alright, shhh, it's going to be alright. It's over now." Mr. Argent soothed until she finally stopped sobbing.

"Can we go eat now?" Tessa asked with a hiccup.

"Yes, we can go eat now." Mr. Argent squeezed her shoulder and led her out.

Derek wasn't the only one protecting her anymore.

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Chris Argent and Tessa met Mrs. Argent at a Café 2 blocks from the studio. Tessa was met with a warm hug, and an offer to help her redecorate.

"That's a lovely fragrance, Tessa." Mrs. Argent said noting the Hale crest on her locket.

"Thank you, it took me a while to figure out the scent, but it's actually Lilac and Aconitum. I couldn't tell you what species. Derek gave it to me." Tessa explained as she returned to her Caprese Salad.

Mr. and Mrs. Argent shared the same look.

_Aconitum. Wolfsbane was in her perfume….and Derek gave it to her!_


	13. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Derek had spent most of the morning tracking members of the pack that was trying to take Tessa, a few sloppy betas had left tracks, but most trails ran cold. On his way back to Hale House, he got quite a phone call.

"Yea," Derek said as he took as he made his way through the door.

"Wolfsbane. Nice touch." Chris Argent said as he stood outside the café where his wife and Tessa were talking what would be the most tasteful way to decorate the dance studio.

"I told you to stay away from her." Derek responded becoming more increasingly irritated.

"No, that was a genuine compliment. He can't take what he can't touch, brilliant call on your end. Wait, that means you can't touch her either." Chris added as he continued to look in on Tessa and his wife.

"Do you have a reason for calling me? If so get to the point, if not hang up." Derek answered doing his best to stay calm at the thought of not being able to touch Tessa.

"I wanted you to know that I've taken a particular interest in this. You and I both know that the Alpha made a move last night, if anything to make itself known. I was with Tessa this morning as she checked out the studio. I want the pack out of Beacon Hills and far away from Tessa. I won't interfere, but I want you to know. That we will be hunting tonight, so if I were you, I would stay inside." Chris explained cryptically.

"Have fun." Derek said as he hung up.

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"So werewolves have a mating season?" Scott asked Allison in surprise.

"Not necessarily. My dad says that every Alpha has a pre-determined mate, so once you ascend to Alpha it sets off a beacon to the other mate. The dreams they had been having. So basically the short version-they're mates." Allison finished explaining to Lydia, Jackson, and Scott.

"Does Stiles know about the mating?" Lydia asked in shock.

"No, but he needs to." Scott said as he reached for his phone to call him.

Allison noticed that Jackson was surprisingly quiet, especially on the subject of Tessa who he practically gushed over (at least as much as Jackson would gush).

"Oh wow," Scott began "If he doesn't know, he's about to."

"What?" Allison said in annoyed confusion.

"He's on his way to pay Derek a visit." Scott said as he and Allison ran for her car with Lydia in tow.

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Derek was looking over Tessa's door measurements when he heard the jeep pull up. He could hear Stiles' racing pulse as he made his way to the door. With a deep sigh, Derek went to meet Stiles.

"What did you do to her?" Stiles asked angrily.

"Who?" Derek asked in frustration that he didn't have the patience for right then, especially from Stiles.

"You know who. Did you bite her? Huh? Is that it? What did you do?" Stiles asked in anger.

"I didn't do anything to Tessa. I have more important things to worry about right now, than explaining myself to you." Derek said with a deep breath as he turned to walk away.

"What? Like fucking my sister and then ripping into her throat?" Stiles yelled back at Derek.

Derek stopped where he stood and kept a tight grip on the banister of his stairs, taking deep breaths as he thought about how heartbroken Tessa would be if he killed her only brother.

"_She's making me go soft already…"_

"Get out," Derek said as he pointed to the door.

"Not until I get some answers," Stiles said standing his ground.

"Ok you want a straight answer? Fine, get the hell out of my house before I rip into _your_ throat." Derek said with a harsh gaze.

Before Stiles could retort Scott saved him as he came through the door.

"Stiles, Derek didn't do anything to Tessa." Scott said as he was followed in by Lydia and Allison.

"Oh. Thank God he hasn't killed you yet!" Lydia said with a sigh of relief.

"There is something you really, really need to know. Now." Allison said

"You should sit down for this one." Lydia said backing her friend up.

"Derek?" Scott said as he watched his mentors red eyes return to normal.

"I want you to know something, what happens between me and your sister is our personal business. We are both consenting adults, and if she wasn't we wouldn't be where we are now. Tessa is mine. Let me hear you say something like that about us like that again, and see what happens." Derek said as he walked back up to where he was working.

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"Thank you so much for today, I can't tell you how much your support has meant to me." Tessa said to Mr. and Mrs. Argent as they had walked her to the door.

"Anytime, Tessa." Mr. Argent said as he gave her a supportive hug.

"Remember Tessa, if you ever need any help with the studio at all, you have two very big benefactors of the arts right here." Said Mrs. Argent with a genuine smile.

"Thank you, be safe." Tessa said as she opened the door and saw the Argents off.

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"Ok…" Allison said with a deep breath as she sat on the porch of Hale House with the others. "Basically, Derek's species of werewolves…When a werewolf ascends to an Alpha, said werewolf has a pre-determined mate. Derek becoming the Alpha sent out a beacon to Tessa all the way in Cuba. They dreamt about each other until she finally came here and found him. Derek and Tessa are both two halves of a whole. Derek and Tesas _are _mates" She finished with a sigh.

"You know, that's actually kind of romantic." Lydia said thoughtfully.

"Oh dear God, you can't be serious." Stiles said as he gave his girlfriend an appalled look before coming to another realization. "That makes Derek my brother-in-law. Oh god we're related now!"

"It's going to be ok Stiles, it's going to be ok." Scott said fighting back laughs.

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After a hot bath, Tessa sat at the kitchen table in her slippers and flannel pajamas going over paperwork when Stiles walked through the door. Stiles looked like someone had run over his kitten.

"Hey, your dinner is in the microwave. Dessert is in the refrigerator, eat in any order you like." Tessa said as she smiled at him softly.

"I'm sorry, I spazzed out on you." Stiles said as he walked to the microwave and carried his plate and backpack over to the kitchen table.

"Stiles, I can't name a day in your life when you haven't spazzed out about something," She began as she put her pen down and looked him in the face. "I'm sorry that I snapped at you. I had, had a hard night. Dad isn't talking to me; he won't even look at me. Derek had given me a gift. I just wanted to have some peace." Tessa said truthfully as she handed her brother a napkin.

"Not one day?" Stiles asked as he began to eat his Stroganoff.

"Stiles when you were little you would run around the house in nothing but your underwear, some cowboy boots, and a football helmet. You tell me?"

"Checkmate." Was all Stiles said.

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Derek stood in the doorway of Tessa's school door as he replaced the last screw in the bottom hinge. He could see the pair of eyes out in the distance waiting for the right moment as Derek went back inside and got his jacket.

"Were you expecting Tessa? If so, I'm sorry to disappoint you." Asked Derek after he made it to his car.

"That would have been a nice bonus, but no. Although, I will have to go visit her soon. I would like to get to know the future mother of my children a little bit better." The Alpha said in a smug tone as he appeared out from behind a dumpster near the woods, but kept himself in the shadows only making his eyes apparent.

"How do you know she isn't already having mine?" Derek asked in a tone that matched his.

"Because she is surrounded by Wolfsbane, is she not? Fitting isn't it? You gave her pretty flowers, sweet scent protection all hidden in the guise of love for her. You don't love her at all do you? So why are you keeping her from someone who clearly does?" Asked the Alpha.

"I do it for shits and giggles." Derek said with a smirk as he entered his car and drove away, red eyes glowing.


	14. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

With her father on shift and Stiles with Lydia, Tessa read her book in bed peacefully with her glass of wine on her nightstand. Her vibrating phone pulled her out of her book enough to knock over her glass of (luckily white) wine and vase of flowers. Water and wine went everywhere: On her wall, on her carpet, and on her.

"God damnit!" Tessa hissed as she grabbed a towel from her hamper and wiped down the wet areas, moved her vases of flowers that had amazingly survived the fall to her trunk across the room, and began to get out of her wet pajamas.

Finally wrapped in her towel, she placed her locket in her velvet box and turned to find her window open. With a sigh she shut her latch and pulled her curtains in front of it, before walking across to her bathroom. Tessa pulled down her hair as she turned on the faucet and rinsed the sticky mess off of her.

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Tessa returned to the room to find her window open again as hit the latch one last time and turned around only to bump into Derek.

Tessa's breathing became ragged and Derek heard her pulse began to race when she saw him.

"How did you…?" Tessa asked as Derek stepped closer to her.

"Stiles still haven't fixed the window." Derek replied as he took in her scent. No perfume. "Did you like what I left for you?"

"It's all perfect. Thank you. What brings you here for a visit?" Tessa asked as she wrapped her towel a little bit tighter.

"I was in the neighborhood. I wanted to see you." He replied simply as he did his best to lead her away from the vase of flowers luckily, Tessa had a large room.

"Derek Hale, are you trying to say you missed me? Did Big Bad Derek Hale miss me?" Tessa teased as she stepped closer to him only to be met by a searing kiss.

"Apparently so," Tessa said as she caught her breath before Derek started assaulting her lips again.

She could hear the click of the door knocking as she pulled the sleeves of his jacket down as far as the position of his arms would let them go before he let her take it all the way down. Tessa had to stifle moans as he began kissing her neck and shoulders.

"Is this a dream?" she asked breathlessly as she felt him nip at her pulse point as she grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled up.

"No," He answered huskily as he looked her in the eyes, his breath ragged.

"Ok," She said as she managed to successfully get his shirt off and unbuttoning his jeans.

Tessa felt him move around expertly as if doing what she assumed to be getting the rest of his clothes off while losing minimum contact. Tessa got to look up at him as he removed her towel to reveal her whole body to him. Tessa was surprisingly shy when he saw her; she had never seen _all_ of him in her dreams. Now, here he was all of him and very, very real.

Derek heard Tessa swallow as she looked him over and ran her hands over his torso and arms, like she was taking in everything. He forgot he was her first. He heard her gasp as she looked down, definitely her first. He could smell her arousal and excitement, but he could also smell her nerves her hands were shaking as she saw him staring at her. Something about his stare made her feel so small as she brought her hands to cover he breasts.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" He asked as he pulled her arms away from her.

"Yes, I'm just…just…I've never." She stammered as she looked up at him.

"I know the dreams" He explained as he took his turn to take her in. She knocked the wind out of him as he felt her soft skin.

"Oh. I want to…" Tessa trailed off as she felt his touch run over her. It was the pleasure of her dreams amplified by 1,000.

Derek watched her intently as she ran her hands him, his chest and arms before placing kisses where she touched him, tracing the lines of his muscles before she finally took his mouth and gave in to his hands on her body. He focused on her before picking her up by her backside and carrying her to her bed. She felt him take one nipple in his mouth while groped the other he was fighting to be gentle.

Tessa gasped when he placed his between her legs and began licking and sucking greedily. It seemed like that was one place he didn't have to be gentle. He felt her nails dig into his back and trying to stifle moans. Tessa was grabbing handfuls of sheets and bucking her hips to send his tongue deeper inside of her. He didn't stop until he felt her cum for him once, and then again.

He was taking joy in it. She wasn't going to want anyone else by the time he was done. He was going to ruin her for men. She grabbed him by his hair and kissed him roughly nipping his lips and tasting herself on him, before she grew the guts to go for the gold. She kept kissing him so that he wouldn't see how unsure she was when she wrapped her hands around him and began to stroke.

Knowing what she was going to do as he felt her shift. He was bigger than he looked. All she knew was what Cosmo and Leighton told her. Leighton told her what to do with her body, and like any true dancer she was going to perform with military precision. She moved him onto his back and took him into her mouth she kept her movements steady and even as she licked the head of his cock while she sucked, taking the time to pay attention to the side and base as she played everywhere else. She could hear him groaning, grunting, and at several points growling as he put his hands in her hair and wrapped it around in his fist.

Derek wasn't expecting her to be so good with her mouth. He could tell she was inexperienced, but she was hitting all the right spots. Oh dear God, if she kept going he was going to lose it. He grabbed guided her up by the hair he had taken in his hands being careful not to yank. He rolled her onto her back as he coaxed her legs open.

"Tell me you want this. Tell me you're ready, Tessa." Derek growled lowly, his digits doing the commanding as "Tell me," Derek continued as he placed one finger inside her.

"Yes. I want this. I'm ready." Tessa said as she took in the new sensation.

"Tell me you want me." Derek said as he groped and kissed her as he put in a second finger.

"I want you," Tessa said as she became hypnotized by his hands and his mouth.

"Say my name," Derek said as he entered a third finger as he placed kisses all over her body.

"Derek. Derek. Please, Derek" Tessa said as she found his face and kissed him urgently as he pulled his fingers out.

As her got ready to put him inside of her, he saw her eyes widen as she squirmed back.

"Are you really not ready, Tessa?" Derek asked sternly.

"No, no, I am…but…are you sure it will fit?" Tessa asked staring down at him.

"I promise it will. Let me show you." Derek said as he gently laid her back down, and positioned himself at her opening.

"Be gentle…" Tessa whispered as she felt him up against her.

"I will, trust me," Derek said as he went in, not breaking eye contact watching as she grimaced "It will stop soon, just relax." Derek soothed as he waited for her to adjust before he began to thrust slowly inside of her. Derek was careful to maintain control of him so he didn't tear her apart. He began to feel her match him, wrapping her legs around his waist as they found a rhythm. He picked up the pace as she whispered her encouragement to him. He took control of the rhythm, and went faster.

Derek could feel her getting close. He became sharper and unrelenting with satisfaction as he felt the orgasm rip through her. Derek didn't stop as felt the second orgasm hit her. He was close.

"Cum for me, Derek." He heard Tessa whisper.

Derek felt her third orgasm and that was when he came and he came hard. It had been too long. He heard her heart beating hard in her chest as she came down. He wondered if she would come out of it, but he got his answer when she grabbed him by his hair and kissed him more passionately than she ever had.

"That was amazing; can we do that every day?" She asked breathlessly as she cuddled up against him in the crook of his shoulder with her leg between his thighs, her sleep coming almost immediately. Derek absently held her to him, before he succumbed to sleep himself.

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Derek woke to nausea, and he knew why, if he stayed much longer he would be in trouble. He looked down at Tessa who hadn't moved a muscle. She was a mess; the whole bed was a mess. Derek just let out a chuckle before moving out from under her and covering her with her sheet. He watched as Tessa snuggled into the warm spot with a smile on her face. Derek looked down at her before the effects of the Wolfsbane reminded him why he had to go as he kissed her hair and took his leave.


	15. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Tessa woke next morning, with a sweet smile to find that the other side of her bed was empty, warmth from Derek's body gone. The window was shut and locked, Tessa would have thought it was a dream if it weren't for the fact that she was naked and half of her sheets were off the bed. She searched around; Derek was nowhere to be found. There was no note on the nightstand there were no text messages or calls. She couldn't believe it, he really left her and didn't say one word. They made their dreams real, and he left. She suddenly felt dirty in a way that she had never felt before as she pulled on her bathrobe and held the fabric close to her as if it couldn't cover her up enough.

Tessa was too shocked to be angry to crushed to cry as she ripped the sheets off her bed right down to the pillowcases, trying to avoid his scent on them as she tossed them into her patchwork quilt and dragged them to the laundry room as fast as she could (no matter how much it hurt to walk. She tossed the bundle into the washer without abandon, and hit the start button with a sickening slap. She may have overloaded it, but not only did she not give a damn…she didn't give a fuck. Tessa left Stiles lunch money on the table and ran to the bathroom after hearing Stiles padding around in his room.

Tessa turned on the shower and stood in front of the mirror as she dropped her robe. Her long brown hair was a mess from where Derek's hands had been grabbing it. Her breasts, inside of her thighs, and neck were covered in hickeys and bruises. There were even a few scratches on her ass from where he had been groping her. She couldn't even look at herself without thinking about him. Luckily, one of her teachers called in sick. That meant that that Tessa would be out, busy, and dancing…even if it was in a turtleneck Leotard.

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After Tessa finished up her classes for the day, she found herself on the phone and in the corner of her studio classroom, where she and Leighton would talk in Cuba.

"Normally, this would be the time when I said 'you little slut! It's about time!' but under these circumstances all I can say is damn!" Leighton said as Tessa finished telling him the whole story.

"He was your first too, wasn't he?" Leighton asked with a deep sigh.

"Yep," Tessa answered solemnly.

"Mm. That's trifflin'. I'm sorry, sweet heart. I know how much your first time meant to you." Leighton said with and empathetic tone.

"I don't know how you go from White Roses and Aconitum, to nothing. Leighton, he fixed to schools doors without me asking. I don't know how you go from one extreme to the other like that." Tessa said in an exasperated tone, finally able to speak her mind.

"Hm. He gave you Aconitum with roses? Maybe it was for the best, No woman should be with a man whose taste is _that _bad." Leighton said thoughtfully.

"What do you mean, and why are we suddenly switched to flowers?" Tessa answered sourly.

"You know what Aconitum is right? _Aconitum napellus_?" Leighton said probing her for knowledge.

"Yes. It's a perennial, purple bloom" Tessa answered in spite of herself.

"Correct and correct. It's also commonly known as Wolfsbane, its poison. Irony, huh? Sorry, I had to throw that random fun fact out there. Back to subject! What's his name?" Leighton asked.

"Derek Hale" Tessa murmured.

"Derek Hale, like the family you were telling me about?"

"Yes," Tessa whispered "I didn't make the connection until he gave me the locket."

"I'm sorry honey. On a more positive note I'll be coming to Beacon Hills at the end of the week!" Leighton said as his voice picked up.

"Really? Why?" Tessa asked sounding a little bit more upbeat.

"So I can slap you in the face for being so dense! How did you not make that kind of connection? Were you banking on a coincidence?" Leighton asked incredulously.

"Honestly, I was trying not to think about. I've spent 6 years trying to forget. I thought there were no survivors…" Tessa trailed off.

"Well giving your virginity a member of the family is certainly a big step forward." Leighton said with the kind of saucy bluntness she had come to expect from her old friend.

"I'm sorry, honey. I'm just trying to keep it real. I'm not saying he isn't guilty of assholery in the third degree, but all you can do from here is breathe, hope, and move forward. There will be others, I know it doesn't feel like that now but it's true." Leighton continued gently. "I ALSO think now is the time to get some closure in terms of losing Amberlee. You didn't say good-bye, you just ran like a punk. You need to get closure."

She knew Leighton well enough to know that he wasn't without pain of his own. He was real in every sense of the word. They had always leaned on each other, what would he have done if the roles were reversed? If he had known more than what she told him? Tessa thought as she tried to focus on him rather than voices in her head.

"_Tessa, take the children! Take the children!"_

"It's ok, Leighton. If I wanted to get a sugar coated talk about this I would have called one of my straight friends" Tessa responded with a watery laugh

"No problem, but just so we're clear, what do we always do when we fall out of Pointe and pop a limb out?" Leighton asked sternly.

"We get up against the wall, pop it back in, get up off the ground and keep dancing like a G?" Tessa answered with a mock sense of uncertainty.

"That's my girl! So was it at least good? Did you do that thing I taught you?"

Yep. Leighton was definitely still Leighton.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Stiles was late picking his sister up, but she seemed unaffected by her brother's tardiness as she climbed into the jeep. He recognized the far away almost glazed over look in her eyes.

"So you're in love, huh?" Stiles asked as he pulled up at a McDonald's drive-thru and ordered two large chocolate shakes. "First time?"

"Yep," Tessa replied as she took her shake from him.

"Sucks don't it?" Stiles said as he pulled the jeep out of the parking lot.

Stiles was in a situation where she looked like such a mess that it even sucked the satisfaction out of saying "I told you so"


	16. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Tessa smiled as she ran her hands down the quotes they had put in the tree their mother had planted for them. Tessa always went under the tree whenever she felt broken. When she lost her mother, when she thought she would never dance again, and when she lost Amberlee. She sipped on her shake while she read them to herself.

"_Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  
>Love never fails."-Mom<em>

_888_

"_Haters gonna hate, a philosophy to live by"-Tessa (Age 17)_

_888_

_"I care deperately about what I do. Do I know what product I'm selling? NO. Do I know what I'm doing today? NO. But I'm here...and I'm gonna give__it my best shot.."-_Stiles (Age 11)

888

""God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."-Tessa (Age 15)

888

"_In my dream I break the chains that hold this place together But in my dream the consequences would be so much better than they are Cause beyond the walls that hold us here Skies that stretch across the atmosphere a revolution is near. I hear the echoes of the recent battle Lost and wounded as the faded cries begin to settle for the night But the words you use to hurt me now Only seem to make me strong some how"-Tessa (Age 13)_

_888_

"_You're gonna fly, with every dream you chase, you're gonna cry, but know that that's ok sometimes life's not fair, but if you just hang in there, you're gonna see, that sometimes bad is good, you ust have to believe, things work out like they should, I have no guarantees but always loved by me, you're gonna be" –Mom_

_888_

"_The way I see it..there are two kinds of bullshit. The kind that circumstances force you to put up with, and the kind you shouldn't have to put up with at all."-Stiles (Age 16)_

_888_

"_Feed my eyes (ca__n you sew them shut?) Jesus Christ (Deny your maker) He who tries, will be wasted, FEed my eyes now you've sewn them shut"-Stiles (age 14)_

_888_

It was when Tessa was reading: _"Tessa. From me to you, the only thing you can do is breathe and hope. Breathe to stay alive even when you don't want to. And hope that one day the strength to move on finds it way into your life. I love you."-Stiles (Age 10) _

That she felt her bare foot become wet. She looked down to see black goop. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"STILES?" Tessa called as she reeled back in disgust.

"Yea, Where's the fire…Oh dear god!" Stiles said as he noticed puddle of bile before running to get her a cloth.

"What _is _this? It smells like vomit!" Tessa asked as Stiles as handed her the rag.

"Tessa, I think it is vomit," Stiles said as he looked down at the familiar liquid

"Tessa, have you been with Derek recently? You're a grown woman and I'm not going to judge or ask any further questions about you twos extracurriculars.

"Yes," Tessa said with a blush.

"Uh, ok gross. Did he seem sick when you were with him?" Stiles asked as he caught sight of something in the grass.

"No, not at all." Tessa responded truthfully as the images of last night replayed in her head.

"Well, evidence points to the contrary." Stiles said as he held up Derek's phone. "Oh no, Stiles! What if he is hurt somewhere?" Tessa said as she gripped the phone.

"I seriously doubt that Tessa, and if he was we would have known by now…believe me. He's a tough guy. He can handle himself." Stiles said as he mentally relayed their track record. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but why don't you go check on him, I'm sure he's at the Hale House. I can give you directions-"

"I know where the Hale House is, Stiles." Tessa said much to her Brother's surprise. Her voice had lifted, but Leighton's words were still hanging in the back of her mind

"_You need to get some closure"_

"Take the Jeep," Stiles said as he handed her the keys and Derek's phone but as disgusted as he was with himself for promoting this he had to admit he would have done anything to see his sister look so miserable.

"Thank you, Stiles." Tessa said as she ran upstairs to put on a clean white t-shirt and boot cut Jeans.

Tessa's had butterflies in her tummy as she got ready to walk out the door. It had been a long time since she had been to the Hale House. She was terriffied to see what it was now, but according to Stiles Derek would be there. She had to let that be her incentive even if it was just to give a sharp slap, she needed answers. Even if the answers weren't what she wanted. Was Stiles right? Was he just sick? Then as she told Stiles goodbye and got into the jeep she remembered Leightons words.

_"I ALSO think now is the time to get some closure in terms of losing Amberlee. You didn't say good-bye, you just ran like a punk. You need to get closure."_

Leighton was right. Even if she got there and Derek wasn't home, she was going to see Amberlee. Her love for both of them had to make her strong enough to bare the memories that she knew would come back to her when she came back. Tessa got out of the car and with great efficency Tessa put on her locket, picked up one of her old Ballet Ribbons, and made a bow around some of the flowers Derek had given her and returned to the jeep ready to make her journey.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tessa pulled up to the Hale House, afraid to look up at it. Two images battled one another for dominance. Derek and Amberlee.

_"There are a lot of things I have to tell you, but we've had a long night so this is all I'm going to say is this. You're mine now."_

_888_

_ "My Tessa! My Tessa, hold you!" _

_ "__"You are something else you know that, Little Red Riding Hood?"_

Tessa found herself gripping her locket like it was a lifeline as she swallowed and looked up. She was surprised when bad memories meshed with good memories as she walked toward the old shell.

_(Flashbacks)_

_A Young Tessa standing in front of a man and a woman as they handed her a swaddled up bundle._

_ "Tessa, this is Amberlee," said the man._

_888_

_The heat on her arms as she screamed out in pain as she held out waiting arms._

_ "Tessa, take the children! Take the children!" Amberlee's mother screamed. _

_ "I can break more! I'm trying!" Amberlees yelled fighting sobs as she listened to crying. _

_ "Tessa please don't worry about me, and take my baby!"_

_888_

_Tessa stopped at the end of the road clutching her womb._

_ The pain so bad she was starting to sweat. She had been begging her father to let her get on birth control, but all he did was cut back her curfew as she gritted her teeth and moved to the doorway. She had Amberlee and two of the other Hale babies tonight. Like always, she was met at the door, today by Mr. Hale._

"_Hey, Tessa you doing alright?"_

"_Hi, Mr. Hale. How are you?"_

"_I've got two infants and a toddler,"_

"_So you're ecstatic then?"_

"_Completely. I'm meeting up Mrs. Hale and the twins parents. I put the babies bottles together for you already. Amberlee will need her bath tonight, she is taking her nap now. You've got a pizza coming around 8. Got all that?" Mr. Hale said remaining as stoic business-like as ever as he ushered her in._

"_Yes sir, see you soon!"_

"_Oh and Tessa?" Mr. Hale said as he stepped out of the doorway_

_. _ "_Yes, Mr. Hale?"_

"_I thought you might like this," Mr. Hale said as he handed her a brown paper bag._

"_Thank You, Mr. Hale! __When Tessa turned around he was gone._

_Tessa looked down to see a bag of Advil and a Snickers bar. How did he?_

_(End Flashbacks)_

Tessa gripped Derek's phone and her flowers as she stood in the same doorway. When she saw no sign of Derek, so she went around back to wait for him. Tessa checked the time before she went around to take care of her unfinished business. She couldn't help but be surprised at his wallpaper. It was of her dancing on pointe in a skimpy maroon gypsy outfit. It was her as the Moorish Dancer in Don Quixote. Had he googled her?

When she looked up she saw the old plot the bottle tree that kept away bad dreams still stood. Tessa had built it herself for Amberlee. No one told her about the Hale family graves so she decided to go here where the played. She sat down under the tree.

_"Time to find a wall, pop my arm back in, get back up and start dancing again like a G." Tessa thought to herself._

"Hi sweet girl, Do you think I've forgotten you? I haven't. 6 years ago I left without saying good-bye. I think I wasn't ready to let you go. I must have thought you were a strong person because I left and didn't look back. I know now that I cant dwell on your death, but love the time I had when you were alive, but in order to do that I need to tell you this. I am so sorry for failing you. I was supposed to protect you, and I didn't. I hope you know that I didn't leave because I didn't care about you. I left because I wasn't ready to let you go. It still hurts me to let go of you now. I just hope you know that you may not be here with me but you are always living in my heart. All I can do now is hope that you rest easy."

_Rock a bye Amberlee_

_Up in the tree tops _

_When the wind blows_

_Your cradle will roc_

_k_ _But when the bow breaks,_

_I won't let you fall_

_,_ _I'll be there to catch you_

_Cradle and all_

_I'll hold you close _

_I wont let you go._

_Whether you're good_

_Or if your eyes glow_

_I'll watch you grow up_

_To be so fast and so strong_

_Because I love you baby_

_Fangs, claws, and all._

"Rest easy, my love"Tessa finished in a choked up whisper as she laid down her flowers at the base of the tree, stood, and turned around to find a man in black jeans, a blue shirt, and a black jacket. He was handsome, despite his black eyes and scars cut diagonally across his face.

"I didn't mean to scare you," The man said after he watched her jump.

"Oh its fine. I'm sorry I'm-"

"Tessa. My name is Viktor." The man finished for her.

"Nice to meet you, Viktor, but how did you know my name?" Tessa said as she took a step back from the tree.

"I've seen you around. You own the dance studio. A friend used to dance there, she spoke very highly of you before she left. She said when you danced your feet never touched the gound, light as a feather. I would love to see you dance." Viktor said as he made up the space between them.

"Well I'm sure you can find me on YouTube." Tessa said lightly with a gentle smile "It was a pleasure meeting you. You have definetly flattered me, but I actually had an appointment. I only meant to come and pay my respects." Tessa said as she took another step back.

"I heard you. I'm sorry for your loss. Im sure you will have some of your own one day, maybe sooner than you think." Viktor said as he took another step toward her.

"I appreciate that very much. Good-bye Viktor." Tessa said as she gave a warm smile before she turned to walk away and make the look "What a fucking creeper look she had been dying to make.

Before Tessa could make one step. Viktor grabbed her arm.

"Wait. I wanted to give you something before you left." Viktor said as he tried to pull her to him.

"She doesn't want anything from you," Tessa turned around to see Derek standing behind her as he made up ground, circled her waste with one arm and pulled her away from him.

"Tessa, go into the house. Don't ask questions" Derek said his eyes not leaving Viktor.

"Sir, yes sir" Tessa said as she turned and took her leave in the form of strides so long she was almost doing the splits.

"Don't get smart," Derek called behind her

. "That's one hell of a way to talk to her" Viktor said as stared Derek down.

"My woman, my business. Now get off my property." Derek said as he cracked his neck took off his jacket calmy, folded it up and placed it across one of the tree branches.

"Well we'll see how long you go around calling her your woman," Viktor responded as his eyes began to glow.


	17. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Ok, I tried to be reasonable but apparently this is going to be an issue" Derek said as he stood his ground.

"I come in peace, I only came to see visit my mate. I'll have plenty of time to be with her after I kill you. I didn't really want to; my mate would be absolutely heartbroken. I just wanted you thrown in jail." Viktor hissed.

"You saw _Tessa_, now leave." Derek said as his fangs grew.

"You don't even love her! What does it matter what I do with her? She thinks that you used her like garbage and you did! Did you know how sad she was today, when she woke up alone?" Viktor growled with his claws beginning to show.

"She'll get over it," Derek said as his body began to shift just in time to dodge Viktor going for his throat in anger.

"Give her to me…" Viktor demanded as he landed a solid punch in Derek's face.

"God how old are you? 2?" Derek taunted as he returned his punch with a kick in the stomach before nailing Viktor with a knee to the face while the other man was hunched over as Derek's fangs grew and his eyes went red.

"Are you going to leave now?" Derek asked as he kicked the man in the head while he was down.

"Not until I taste your blood and then take my woman on the floor of that hell hole you call a house. The house she almost died trying to get Hale children out of." Viktor said as he rushed at a shocked Derek sending him to the ground.

"She was a nanny to your little cousin Amberlee, remember her?" Viktor asked as he kicked Derek brutally. "She found the house in flames, and ran to save your family. She tried to beat down the door but she couldn't"

Viktor continued assaulting Derek as he stomped on Derek's sternum, watching blood come out of Derek's mouth as he grabbed Derek by the throat and hoisted him into the air, his fingers nearly crushing his windpipe.

"She managed to bust out a window only to find Amberlee's mother screaming for her to take the children. Tessa ran with Amberlee in her arms even though her arms were nearly charred, and when she went back to get the others that half of the house had exploded. Tessa didn't even have a chance before that hunter you were so happily fucking bashed her head in, nearly killing her before tossing the child back into the fire. The best part was Tessa knew about your family the whole time, she knows about you, and she never said one word. You don't deserve her, and you never will. Don't worry; I'll take good care of her. I think I'll let you listen long enough to hear her scream my name." Viktor said as he slammed Derek onto the ground staring down at him smugly before he kicked him one more time for good measure before turning his attention to the Hale House.

"Viktor," Derek rasped as he spit his own blood out of his mouth as his urge to kill took over.

"What?" Viktor said before he turned around to find Derek standing

"Big mistake," Derek said as he shifted mid-air and went for Viktor's throat.

Derek was vicious as he tore through Viktor's flesh. However, Viktor didn't miss a beat as he shifted the first opportunity he got as he slashed open Derek's face. Derek roared in pain as he ripped into Viktor's shoulder before tossing him into an Oak tree sending the tree spilling onto the ground with him.

Derek ripped into him ruthlessly as he continued to shred his fellow Alpha's shoulder, but Viktor didn't miss a beat. Viktor grabbed Derek ruthlessly by his skull as he sent him careening into another tree, but Derek recovered with ease as he twisted in mid-air landing feet first onto the tree using it as a springboard to hit Viktor square in the chest as he bit into Viktor's neck. However, Viktor knew when to run as he grabbed Derek by the jaw and sent him flying to lie back at the base of the bottle tree where Derek returned to human form. When Derek stood up to continue fighting Viktor was gone as Derek caught sight of the wolf running with the last of its strength. A good chunk taken out of his neck and his left arm nearly hanging off.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tessa sat in the front hall as she watched Derek walked through the door. He was walking straight but his face was still bleeding.

"Derek. Are you ok?" Tessa said as she ran to him to check his face only to have her hands pushed away as Derek caught his breath.

"You knew? You knew about my family, and me?" Derek asked.

"Yes. Yes, I knew." Tessa whispered. "Amberlee was an early shifter. The first time she changed was when she was throwing a tantrum because I wouldn't give her dessert until she ate 5 more bites of her peas."

"How old was she?" Derek asked as he watched her pull her hair back, her green eyes glazing over.

"She was one the first time. I saw her shift, and then her parents told me. They thought that the time they saw her was the first time she had shifted."

"You knew, and you never said one word?" Derek asked as he watched her intently.

"Yes. I made a promise to them. I loved them and they loved me," Tessa said as she washed her hands and filled a chipped porcelain bowl with water, not noticing the look Derek was giving her.

"Did you know about the Wolfsbane in your room?" Derek asked trying to wipe his face as his cuts healed.

"I knew Wolfsbane was a poison for werewolves, but nothing besides that. I just thought they were flowers, I didn't know until the next day when my friend told me what it was. I thought you left because you just wanted to have sex with me, after the dreams we had been having. I didn't think about the poison. I saw your vomit on the ground outside of the room. Is this why you never said anything?" She asked as she held out the phone.

"Look in the drafts." Derek said as he held his Sternum.

"_Had to go early. I wasn't feeling"_

"That was when you dropped your phone and puked,"

"Yea. I was going to see you at the studio, but the other teacher said your classes had ended for the day." Derek said as he felt his sternum begin to put itself back together.

"Oh…I'm sorry you got sick." Tessa whispered as she took a cloth and pulled his shirt off so that she could wipe his face as well as the blood (mainly Viktor's) back and chest where it seeped through his shirt.

"Tessa," Derek said as he watched her run the cloth under a rickety faucet.

"Hm?" Tessa said as she rang the cloth out and began wiping the blood from his face and chest.

"Just so we are clear," Derek said as he grabbed her by the shoulders so that he got her full attention as he looked her straight in the eye. "I put that Wolfsbane and I spiked the perfume in your room so Viktor wouldn't try to take you from me. You are mine. I thought that I would have been far enough from the Wolfsbane to be with you. I wanted to be with you, I fell asleep beside you. I woke up and left because I was getting sick, and I didn't write a note because I couldn't breathe."

"It's ok Derek, I know about the effect that Wolfsbane has on you. I'm not upset with you," Tessa said as she broke his grip and kept wiping his face.

"I know what you did. I know about Amberlee." Derek grabbed her wrist to stop her from tending to him.

"I feel so stupid for not having said something sooner; I spent so many years trying to forget. The ballet company even paid for the surgery to fix my scars…" Tessa said swallowing and pulling her wrist away from Derek to keep working.

"Tessa!" Derek said grabbing her wrist one more time in frustration as she dropped the cloth.

"I'm so sorry…I tried." Tessa choked out as the first tears she had ever shed over Amberlee and over the Hales came racking her body with each sob. "I tried…I tried so hard…I couldn't get them out…I tried to keep her safe"

All Derek did was put his arms around her. For the first time in years he was unsure of what to do or think.


	18. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"_She found the house in flames, and ran to save your family."_

"_Tessa didn't even have a chance before that hunter you were so happily fucking bashed her head in"_

"_Tessa knew about your family the whole time, she knows about you, and she never said one word. You don't deserve her, and you never will."_

Derek took a deep breath as he paid for coffee at a convenience store by the house as he contemplated Viktor's words. He literally had no idea what to think or say. It was the last thing he ever would have guessed Tessa to have done, risk her life for his family. He couldn't believe she was his mate. Did he deserve her?

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Tessa woke up in a full sized bed in a room that aside from a new mattress, box spring, and crisp dark blue sheets and comforter looked like it had seen better days. She lay in bed and wondered what was going to happen next, she knew Derek had put her in is bed to be warm and safe.

Tessa felt guilty because she knew that she should be focusing on Derek and everything he had done for her, even held her until she didn't have the strength to cry anymore. She padded out of bed to find that she was in one of Derek's charcoal colored long sleeve shirts and her hair was down. She put on a zip-up hoodie that had been laid on the bed and went to look out the window to see the backyard. She noticed trees down on the edge of the forest had been destroyed. One was pushed sideways and the other was completely smashed in half.

The sound of the Law and Order song pulled her away from surveying the damage. It was Stiles.

"Hello?" Tessa asked as she stifled a yawn.

"Where have you been? I had to cover for you with Dad!" Stiles asked incredulously.

"I'm with Derek at the house. Oh no, the jeep! What time is it?" Tessa asked in a panicked tone.

"It's 8:30 am. It's Thursday, Tessa. Congratulations, you spent the night." Stiles said sarcastically.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry, Stiles! I will be at the school as soon as I can!" Tessa responded in a mortified tone.

"Tessa, I can't remember a day in my life when you weren't taking care of me. You deserve a day off. I caught a ride with Lydia, We will come back after Lacrosse practice and get you, ok? You don't have any classes at the school today so just relax." Stiles said in a soothing tone.

"Seriously, Stiles you don't care if I keep the jeep for a while? By the way since when do you know my schedule?" Tessa asked jokingly.

"Yes and it disgusts me and since you came home, you have a calendar for all of us in the kitchen, June Cleaver." Stiles said with a slight laugh.

"Ok Beaver, now get back to class. I'm not going there to pick up your phone at school because it was confiscated. Thank you, Stiles" Tessa said sternly but softened towards the end of the statement.

"Don't mention it. Seriously, I'm trying to keep the bile down"

"I love you. Be safe." Tessa said with a laugh before hanging up the phone.

Tessa held her hoodie close to herself before feeling her phone ring again.

"Hello?" Tessa answered

"Good morning Tessa, Its Daddy." Sherriff Stilinksi greeted in a lighter-than-business tone.

"Hi Daddy," Tessa said in a tone that was trying to mask her thoughts of "Holy Shit and what the fuck?"

"Stiles told me you were with friends from work, but I wanted to check in. Are you doing alright, haven't partied to hard have you?" Her father asked sounding warmer than he had been in a long time.

"I'm fine, Daddy. I'm just stretching out and starting my day.

"You had me worried last night when you didn't call," Sherriff Stilinski

"I'm sorry Daddy; I'm still working out the kinks from Cuba. I'll be sure to call next time." Tessa said as she stifled a groan and reached for the end button.

Sherriff Stilinski called one last time.

"Yea, Daddy?"

"I want you to know that, I love you very much"

"I love you too Daddy" Tessa said as she hit the end button before turning to survey the room she was in.

The walls were dark like the rest of the house, but the bed aside from the frame looked fairly new. Underneath of it was a large rug that was too dark to make out what its original colors out. There was a nightstand and a fairly new looking lamp and a stack of books on it. Before she could make out any titles she was pulled from her curious thoughts.

"I'm glad to see you're awake." Derek said gently as he handed her a foam cup of coffee and began to take his jacket off.

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"Thank you. Thank you for protecting me from him. Who was he? What's happening?" Tessa whispered as she accepted the cup and taking a slow Mocha flavored sip.

"I need to tell you something" Derek said with a deep breath.

"…Ok" Tessa answered

Before Tessa could respond she was met with a kiss from Derek, it was so gentle that it was almost out of character for him.

"Tessa, when I became the Alpha…A mate was chosen for me. You were chosen for me." Derek began to explain.

"That's what you meant when you said I was yours? Did you know the whole time?" Tessa asked gently, taking deep breaths.

"Not the whole time, no. I thought you didn't know about me being a werewolf and I didn't know when or how to tell you. Viktor is an Alpha of another pack, and he wants to take you from me and make you _his_ mate. He attacked the studio to draw me out, and then made it look like a robbery so that I would take the fall. He said it would break your heart if he killed me." Derek continued with a snort at his last statement.

"It would have," Tessa said as she took another sip of her coffee and gave him a light kiss on the lips. "So where do we go from here?"

After a few deep breaths Derek found Tessa's face.

"I have an idea of where to go," Derek responded as he put his black coffee down and watched as Tessa followed suit.

"Where do we go?" Tessa asked as she looked up him seriously.

"Here," Derek said as he picked her and threw her onto his bed as Tessa gasped and then squealed in surprise.


	19. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Tessa closed her eyes in pleasure as she felt Derek's nips and kisses on her pulse point. She traced the spirals on his tattoo as she straddled his lap with her legs wrapped around his waist. They had spent most of the day in bed and still hadn't gotten around to putting all of their clothes on. Derek had his hand up Tessa's makeshift nightgown when he heard a car pulling up.

"Get dressed. We have company." Derek said as he picked her by her rib cage and put her back on the bed before tossing her clothes to her.

"Derek its Stiles, He came to pick me up with Lydia." Tessa said as she untangled her bra.

She watched him stand still for a moment before he spoke.

"Yep, you're right." Derek said as he pulled his pants up. "You don't have to go with him, just give him your keys and I can just take you home, Tessa."

"As much as I would _love_ for you to take me back, I need to go home Derek." Tessa said as she buttoned up her jeans.

Stiles cut their conversation short

"Tessa! We're here!" Stiles called up the stairs.

"Shit!" Tessa gritted as she threw her shirt on and started to put her hair up.

"Hey guys!" Tessa said as she walked down the stairs to them.

"Let me get my things and we can head out," Tessa said as she noticed that Lydia was giving her the "I know what you did" look. Tessa was now seriously wishing she had taken a shower instead of that last round.

"_Note to Self: Next time, coax Derek into shower when you have to be somewhere."_

"Hey is everything ok? Where's Derek?" Stiles asked as he watched his sister get her keys and purse from a nail in the wall.

"I'm right here. Nice to see you still know how to knock, Stiles." Derek said as he walked behind Tessa and placing a hand on the small of her back.

"You almost forgot this," Derek said handing her, her phone.

"Ah, thank you. I'll talk to you soon?" Tessa asked as she felt Derek's hand move up and down her back in a position that Stiles and Lydia couldn't see.

"Yep," Derek replied as he led them to them to the door watching as Tessa entered the jeep and drove off.

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Tessa sat in her desk at the dance studio reading over paperwork when she got a visitor.

"Hi my sweet boy," Tessa greeted as she got up from behind her desk to hug her former charge.

Jackson answered as he returned her hug only this time he seemed more apprehensive than before.

"What brings you here, sweetheart?" Tessa asked as she ushered him to the chair across from her desk and poured him some water.

"When you're done, I want to take you to dinner if you have the time." Jackson said as he took a sip of his water.

"I always have time for you," Tessa replied as she picked up her files, keys, and purse "Just let me put these away and lock up. Then we can go, what would you like?"

"Um can we have a sandwich?" Jackson asked as he helped her into a soft pink ¾ sleeved wool jacket before the two walked out of the door together.

"Sure. Jackson you haven't asked me for a sandwich like that since you were a little boy after I let you out of time-out, are you ok?" Tessa answered as she hit the lights and locked the door behind them.

"Yea. I'm fine I just wanted to take my favorite lady out for a meal." Jackson said as he extended his arm to her as he walked her to the car.

Tessa watched Jackson intently as she took his arm and stayed close to him. She could tell he was looking around for something. She knew Jackson, and he couldn't hide his nerves for the life of him, never could.

"Want to go to that Café where they have that dark French pie you like?" Jackson asked as he watched the road with white knuckles on the clutch and wheel.

Tessa noticed his nerves to the point where she couldn't take it anymore. The moment they were in the café parking lot she spoke up.

"Jackson," Tessa said as she lightly grabbed his arm before he got out.

"Yes, Tessa?" Jackson answered the same way he did when he was a little boy, but this time he didn't meet her gaze.

"Look at me Jackson, look me in the eye." Tessa commanded in a stern but gentle voice. "I know something is going on with you, and I want to hear it right now. I'm not going a step further with you until you tell me what is going on, and don't even think about lying to me Jackson Whittemore."

"Tessa, is Derek hurting you? Has Derek hurt you?" Jackson asked as he gripped the wheel.

"Jackson, why would you think that? No. Derek hasn't laid a finger on me, he never would." Tessa said as she began rubbing his back to calm him down.

"You aren't going to believe any of this…" Jackson trailed off.

"Try me, love." Tessa replied reassuringly.

"I'm a werewolf. Scott, Lydia, and Me…we're part of Derek's pack. Derek is the Alpha werewolf, the head werewolf I guess. They think you're his mate or something…crazy huh?" Jackson explained while he played with his thumbs.

"I know." Tessa said with a small smile

"You do?" Jackson said as he finally made eye contact with her.

"I knew about Derek before he even told me about the rest of you. I took care of some of Derek's cousins too, I knew they were werewolves. Derek told me about you 3 too, about Peter and Kate Argent. He has been 100% honest with me, and he has never once hurt me. Now tell me where all of this is coming from, sweetheart." Tessa murmured while continuing to rub Jackson's back as she finally felt him relax a little.

"When I found out, I was nervous at first because I didn't think you knew. I thought he would do something to you or give you the bite without you knowing the way Peter did Scott and Lydia." Jackson explained with a deep breath before he continued "Then the other day, this guy came to me and he said that he was a boyfriend of yours. He said that he got a call from you about someone hurting you, and that he had to get you out of here right away. He asked me to help him…keep you safe. I actually considered it, but I wanted to see if I could convince you to get out on your own."

"Help him take me away from the man…and your first thought was Derek?" Tessa said calmly to Jackson.

"Yea. I'm sorry, Tessa." Jackson said in a sad and embarrassed tone.

"Jackson, look at me my sweet boy" Tessa said "Firstly, let me say that you were very smart have come to me first before you acted rashly, and I'm so grateful for that. You were trying to protect me and I can't begin to tell you what that means to me. I promise you that I am happy…even with Derek. I will give you the whole unabridged version inside."

"You're not mad at me?" he asked giving her a sideways glance.

"Why would I be? Tessa asked as she took his face in his hands. "_I love you always, and always, and forever, no matter what, rain or shine, my sweet boy, you are always mine. _Now come on I'm hungry, and I need my cardio! Last one there pays for the pie!" Tessa cried as she jetted out of the Porsche.

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After a very delicious (but long) dinner/open forum, Tessa was ready to go to sleep especially since she still wasn't walking straight yet.

"_Tess, are you ok? Did you pull something at work yesterday?" was her father's first words when he saw her (much to her brother's visible disgust) _

Tessa finally managed to get the shower she had been dying to take, and came back into her room happily bathed and blushing to find an open window and yellow roses by her bed sans Wolfsbane with a note by it. Tessa crossed the room to shut the window and made a b-line for her beautiful roses.

_My Darling Mate,_

_I think red is overrated so I brought you these instead. _

_Talk to you soon._

After smiling for a moment something startling hit her.

"My darling mate, what the hell, My Darling mate? That's not Derek at all. Oh god….that's not Derek at all!" Tessa exclaimed as her tone went front from amused to terrified as she dropped the note and ran to Stiles' room to sleep there.

He was fixing that damn latch in the morning.


	20. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Tessa turned back to pick up the note before running back to Stile's room.

"Stiles!" Tessa whispered loudly as she ran into her sleeping brother's bedroom.

"Tessa?" Stiles answered as he heard her shuffle over to his bed. "Why are you in here?"

"My window was open and I got flowers. They aren't from Derek." Tessa said standing over her brother and shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.

"How do you know?" Stiles asked as he turned on his lamp groggily.

"Read this," Tessa murmured with shaking hands

"My darling mate, seriously?" Stiles said in appalled amusement.

"Yea that's what I said," Tessa replied

"Yep, definitely not Derek. We will take care of this in the morning. I will fix the latch and you will tell me what's going on" Stiles said as he moved the comforter for Tessa before turning out the light.

"Thank you," Tessa whispered as she climbed into bed shaking as she curled up next to him.

"Go to sleep," Stiles said before rolled over, gave his sister a hug, and rolled back over.

Stiles never thought he would see the day when _he _would be letting _her_ sleep with him because she was scared. The only sad part was that this nightmare was real.

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Tessa and Stiles were in the kitchen while she wrapped bacon, eggs, and cheese in some crepes. Both remained fairly silent as their father grabbed his to-go cup from his daughter. It wasn't until Tessa and Stiles heard their father's car leave the driveway that the real fun would begin.

Just before Tessa could put their plates down, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Stiles said as he moved for the door while Tessa shook her head with an exasperated sigh before loading three more plates as Scott, Jackson, and Lydia walked in.

"I thought this would save time" Stiles explained.

"_How did I know?_" Tessa thought with an inward groan as she grabbed the orange juice out of the frig and a stack of plastic cups before approaching the table and placing them all down.

"Hi guys, take a seat." Tessa said as she ushered the three to the table.

"Hey Tessa," Scott said as he gave her a side hug.

"Hi Tessa," Lydia said as the two women exchanged a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey Tessa," Jackson said with a hug and kiss on her forehead.

"I'll never get used to you being taller than me," Tessa whispered back to him.

"Ok, I suppose its story time now huh kids? I suppose Stiles has given the 411 on last night?" Tessa asked as she loaded plates up and carried all four to the table.

"Yea he told us about last night," Scott answered as he poured himself a glass of juice.

"Alright then, the person who left me those flowers is the Alpha of another pack. His name is Viktor, and he wants to take me from Derek. I don't know how he came across me or why, but he decided that he wants me as his mate. It's gotten to the point to where he is delusional. The attack on the Studio was his doing, he wanted to draw Derek out in order to set him up and get him thrown in jail. The day I spent the night at the Hale House, Viktor made his self known and made a move. Derek fought him off just in time. He also tried to recruit Jackson to help him." Tessa said before taking a bite out of her crepe just in time to see a collective look at Jackson.

"What? I didn't say yes!" Jackson said in a defensive tone before returning to his food.

"No he didn't, he came to me first and told me what happened." Tessa said giving Jackson a gentle smile.

"O.M.G. Jackson did something caring, and by caring I don't mean about himself!" Lydia said with a mock gasp.

Tessa looked up long enough from her meal to see and try to ignore Jackson giving her the finger.

"So point being, we have a new pack with a psycho Alpha?" Scott asked with an annoyed sigh.

"Yes, that's about the extent of it." Tessa replied "So let the open forum commence. Questions? Comments? Concerns?"

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After fairly eventful breakfast full of 'holy shits', 'Oh my gods', and 'Are you Okays?' Combined with amusement at the note, Tessa stood in the kitchen with Lydia watching sideways as Scott washed, Jackson dried, and Stiles put away.

"Holy shit," The two women said in unison.

"I kind of want to tell one of them to make me a sandwich…" Lydia whispered with a giggle.

"Shhh, don't jinx it." Tessa responded matching Lydia's giggle.

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Tessa stood in the doorway as the four of them drove off to see a movie. Tessa took a deep breath and walked upstairs to get showered, dressed, and pack her dance bag before she had to go in and get some of the necessary paperwork for an upcoming Competition faxed and prepare for her teen jazz class later that evening. She kept telling herself she had to shake off the fear.

Finally, sat in front of her vanity mirror in a bright red collared one pocket button down shirt. It was light and loose enough to be comfortable and tailored enough to be sexy, by far one of his favorites. She accompanied it with a very broken in skinny jeans. Tessa had just finished curling her hair with the flat-iron and putting on make-up when she heard the doorbell.

"Oh Jesus Christ…" Tessa grumbled praying this was someone who wasn't trying to kidnap her or probe for answers that she didn't have she was going to scream. The things she would have to put up with to be with Derek Hale.

When Tessa opened the door she found an impeccably groomed six-foot five bald black man in straight leg black jeans a crisp royal blue slim fitting collared shirt underneath of a grey herring boat pea coat. She was pretty sure that the neighbors ran to call the Sherriff at her scream before she jumped into his arms.

"Leighton! Oh my God, Leighton honey I've missed you so much!" Tessa cried as Leighton spun her around before he settled on holding her on his hip.

"I was making a trip to the States and I just had to visit my absolute _favorite_ California girl!" Leighton explained with his usual flair.

"You didn't come to smack me did you?" Tessa asked as he put her down by her rib cage.

"That depends. You have to grab your purse and find us a café so you can tell me everything." Leighton said as she ushered him in.

"I'll do you one better than a purse, this is a celebration! I will be right back!" Tessa exclaimed.

After having found her white storage box amongst her suitcases, Tessa grinned.

"Girl, you better hurry it up before I come up!" Leighton yelled up to her.

"You can't rush perfection, darling!" Tessa called back as she finished applying liquid liner and lip gloss to her minimal make-up.

Tessa was excited and alive in a leather mini skirt, purple high heels, and a black long-sleeved scoop neck knit top.

"Hoeing it up are we? It's a little early in the evening don't you think?" Leighton commented as he eyed her in approval

"Ugh, I've been having withdrawals since I left Cuba." Tessa asked as she picked up her purse and fastened her second silver hoop earring before grabbing a short ¾ sleeve wool pea coat.

"What would our darling Derek think if he saw you going out like this in public right now?" Leighton asked as he watched her lock up.

"I really don't know" Tessa said truthfully as she put on her coat and a thick silver watch "I haven't gone out dressed like this since Cuba, so I can't really say. I dress pretty conservatively here. If I had to take a guess at his reaction, I think he would get a hard on, have a poo hemorrhage, or both. He can be a little, _possessive_ sometimes"

"Oh so Beacon Hills doesn't know you have a dirty side?" Leighton asked as he opened the door of his rental Jaguar for her.

"Are you kidding me? You have no idea how hard it is to get your naughty on around here." Tessa said with a smirk as she slipped her long legs into the car.

"Wheeew, girl" Leighton said with enthusiasm.

Maybe tonight she could shake off the fear.

"_Keep dancing like a G, baby"_ Tessa thought as they drove away.

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"Derek?" Stiles called as they entered as he Jackson, Lydia, and Scott entered the house.

Derek came around the side.

"Does no one knock anymore?" Derek asked irritably.

"Well, we came to see about Tessa," Stiles asked about Tessa.

"What about Tessa?" Derek asked with renewed interest at the mention of his mates' name.

"Well I mean after last night-"Scott began.

"What happened last night?" Derek asked as he walked up on the boys.

"You mean you don't know?" Stiles asked.

"Viktor-"Jackson tried to respond but his answer was cut off by Derek's phone.

Derek growled as he hit the send button.

"Yea," Derek answered with a grunt.

"You sound like sunshine and rainbows." Chris said as he checked in with the Alpha werewolf.

"What? I'm not in the best of moods right now," Derek said in a civil tone,

"I thought you might like to know that, we've taken care of several sloppy Betas. This Alpha is running off of sheer numbers and they're dwindling. My guess is that the Alpha is getting desperate, killings have stopped which can only make me guess that he is putting his primary focus on getting a hold of Tessa." Chris confided as Derek stepped into the other rooms.

"Have fun, but I want to make one thing clear. Above all else Tessa is my mate; it's my job to take care of her. The Alpha is mine," Derek said gritting out the last part.

"Fine, but if you don't act soon, we will." Chris said as he hung up the phone.

Derek stalked back into the room towards the members of the pack.

"What happened last night?" Derek asked in a fierce tone.

"Tessa got flowers from Viktor, they were in her bedroom," Stiles confided unaware that Tessa hadn't told him.

"She didn't tell you?" Scott asked.

All that could be heard after that statement was a chair shattering up against a wall and a roar of sheer rage before Derek stalked out of the house.

"Yep apparently not," Stiles stated as he and Scott watched Derek's Camaro pull away from the hospital

"This isn't going to be good is it?" Jackson asked not taking his eyes off the driveway.

"Nope," Stiles replied before heading to their cars.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Leighton and Tessa sat in the corner of the studio after they tag teamed the jazz class and changed back into their clothes.

"So you _did_ do that thing with your back like I taught you!" Leighton said as he put his button down back on.

"What are you my sex coach? Yes I did…and it worked like you said it would!" Tessa said with a blush.

"So he's a hot lay and a G?" Leighton said with a flamboyant approval "And yes someone one had to be, but look at you now! I think _somebody_ owes _somebody _a _Thank You!" _

"Thank you! A 'G'? Really, Leighton?" Tessa asked with a giggle. That was definitely something she had ever thought of calling Derek?

"Uh, Yea! Tessa, he chased off a burglar armed with nothing but his bare hands. Plus, based on how you've described him, he is a stony-faced white boy that has in certain instances between you two when he has followed the Playa Handbook down to a 'T'! 'Girl, he is a 'G'"

Tessa had to laugh at Leighton's unconventional analysis of Derek.

"Well I have got to get back to my hotel, baby. I have had too much fun for one night. I will call you before I have to leave ok?" Leighton said as the two made their way back into the studio and Leighton put his jacket on.

"I've missed you." Tessa said as the two exchanged a kiss on each cheek before Leighton picked her up and spun her around one more time before he tossed her away unexpectedly.

"Leighton what the hell?" Tessa asked as she got her balance back.

"Bitch, I'm not suicidal!" Leighton said in a strong but nervous voice (at least for Leighton). "With how much detailed of a description you have given me, I don't need to know who that is!"

"What?" Tessa replied in a confused and incredulous tone as she put one of her curls behind her ear only to look over to find Derek standing in the doorway of the waiting are and he didn't look happy.


	21. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"You. Explain." Derek said to Tessa as he walked towards the two with his fists clenched.

"Leighton this is-"Tessa began.

"Now." Derek said not breaking eye contact.

Tessa saw the look Leighton was giving her, then the look Derek was giving Leighton before a red faced Tessa saw it.

"Wait…you don't?" Tessa said as she looked from Derek to Leighton "Oh my god you do…"

Tessa looked over just in time to see Leighton biting his knuckles.

"Don't do it, Leighton please don't do it" Tessa pleaded as she tried to stifle what she was holding in.

As soon as Tessa said it, Leighton busted out laughing only to be followed by Tessa as they looked back and forth at each other making motions toward each other.

"Derek, I'm a flaming homosexual!" Leighton said through a fit of laughter as he fought to breathe.

"I'm so sorry, I don't meant to laugh but if he were any more of a fairy he would sprout pixie wings and fairy dust would start coming out of his ass," Tessa added strategically stepping between Derek and Leighton as she saw her mates eyes begin to change. Derek was holding on by a thread and she knew it "Leighton…get…out….he's going to…kill you. I'm…not…joking!" Tessa finished as she finally managed to breathe again.

"One step ahead of you honey! See ya!" Leighton said as he all but ran for the studio exit.

Derek swallowed the issue for another time.

"Why didn't you tell me about the flowers from Viktor?" Derek asked as his eyes began to change their color back to normal, but making it abundantly clear that he was trying to keep his temper in check.

"I don't know to be honest with you. I got the third degree from Stiles, Scott, and Jackson. I didn't sleep and I just wanted to breathe and then Leighton showed up…I was going to tell you later tonight" Tessa trailed off as she looked down at her dance bag.

"Wait you were going to tell me later? When he had gotten to you first? When you had been locked in a room with the bite forced on you because that is exactly what would have happened. _You would have had to be in his bed and bare his children._" Derek growled the last part out, getting enraged at the thought.

"I'm not Stiles, don't talk to me like that, Derek." Tessa said with a sigh.

"Then don't do something so stupid. It's my job to take care of you now." Derek shot back.

"You talk like I'm such a burden…I'm a job" Tessa trailed off with a cynical smile.

"Well when you make a choice that could get you kidnapped by a sick fuck you are a burden and a stubborn, naive one at that!" Derek snapped. "You don't have any clue what kind of danger you are in, you can't just brush this off and prance around in a sexy outfit like everything is going to be ok, because until I take care of that Alpha you clearly aren't safe."

Tessa took a deep breath, she knew deep down that Derek was spot-on but she was still learning to speak "The Language of Derek". His words hurt her no matter how strong she sounded.

"You're right, Derek." Tessa said her words bitterly dripping with sarcasm as she zipped up her dance bag and purse "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. After all I am your _burden, _I _stepped out of line_ and it won't happen again, feel better now?"

"Yep, that was all I needed." Derek responded knowing that he had seriously upset her even before Tessa shook her head in disgust and tried to move past him.

Before Derek knew what he was doing he had firmly grabbed her arm.

"Hey," Derek said as he turned her to face him "Don't get it twisted, you may be a burden but I never said I minded…You're _my_ burden."

Tessa took a deep breath and smiled up at him.

"Ok, Derek. How can you do your job if I don't tell you every little thing that happens and I stop living?" Tessa answered with a light smile to hide her hurt as she lightly pulled her arm away from him and put her jacket on.

"_Translation: He was worried. He was just looking out for me. Derek was only trying to take care of me," _She kept telling herself as she picked her bags up again so that she wouldn't be angry with him…or cry.

"Tessa," Derek said as he put his arm around her waist and lead her to the car.

Before Tessa could answer Stiles pulled up.

"Oh thank god! Hey, Tessa I came to get you from Dance. Hey Derek." Stiles said giving him a pointed look.

"Hey Stiles, I will only be a sec." Tessa answered, happy to not have to look at Derek.

"I've got her, Stiles" Derek said returning his look.

"Are you sure…Tessa? Come on home." Stiles asked turning his attention to her.

"Like hell she is. I'm not letting her go home after that, and why would you want her to? It's not safe there." Derek asked Stiles in blatant frustration.

"Ok, first of all, we are going to stop talking about Tessa like she isn't here. Stiles, Derek is right I shouldn't be at home tonight. _It would be safer for me to be with Derek_ than at home tonight," Tessa admitted grudgingly. "Derek, yes I would be more than happy to stay at the Hale House tonight, thank you so much for asking me what I wanted to do! Now that we have gotten that out of the way, Stiles would you mind bringing me a bag?"

"Yea, sure I will see you at Hale House in an hour." Stiles said with a shake of his head as he drove away chuckling at Tessa standing up to Derek (at least in Tessa's own way)

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After Tessa called her father and told him she wouldn't be home and that she had visited with Leighton they went back to Hale House and received her bag from Stiles, Derek and Tessa were currently lying in bed. Derek had lit some candles for Tessa to see with as she dropped her head up on his chest and talked to him. They talked a lot and debated a few times. It was a habit the two had enjoyed the last time the two had been together in the house.

The two were complete opposites and yet somehow they fit (No matter how sour she was feeling toward him at the moment). Currently, she was explaining Leighton so that Derek didn't find him and kill him later.

"Leighton and I met in a lift class when I first went to the company. The day we met, He and I were doing turns across the floor on Pointe and in the middle of a turn I fell and popped my arm out of its socket. When the class stopped to check on me Leighton was the first one there. I had backed up against a wall and before he could pick me up I popped my arm back into its socket, then I picked myself up off the ground and stood on Pointe again with my arms in high fifth. I got back on the floor and continued to dance. When we finished up for that day, I ended up in a corner talking with him and he said 'Damn girl, you kept on going like a G!' I asked him what a G was, and he told me it met Gangster because I was tough, a fighter, and I carried on through terrible pain with style. We'd been best friends ever since. That became our thing after that _'When you fall en Pointe, go find a wall, pop your arm back in your socket, and keep on dancing like a 'G'_'-When life knocks you down, pick yourself up and keep living.

He was my partner in quite a few ballets. When you were a part of the company, you were very well paid but the practice was rigorous and we had to live together in a dorm. Leighton was my roommate until we retired. Then he moved in with his partner, Marco. He was in the States to visit some family, and he stopped to visit me. I missed him very much. I guess I always handled things by brushing them off and continuing to go on. I can't do that with Viktor and it bothers me." Tessa finished.

"The part that bothers me is that I had to find out from _Stiles and Scott_," Derek said as he looked up at the ceiling. "I'm the one who is supposed to take care of you, and I had to find out from those two-and Jackson. _You're my mate_."

"I really am sorry. You protect me from here on out!" Tessa said as she placed a kiss on his chest before rolling off to blow out the candles on the nightstand smiling. It was the first time she ever heard Derek call her his mate.

"By the way," Derek whispered as she blew out the candled and laid back down.

"Hm?" Tessa answered as she adjusted her pillows and lay on her back looking up at the ceiling.

"Nice skirt…" Derek trailed off before promptly rolling on top of her one last time.


	22. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Tessa woke to the sound of Thunder and rain on the roof; Once again she was sans Derek. At this point Tessa had a theory that Derek just held her until she went to sleep. Tessa kept the sheet around her as she reached for her dance bag at the foot of the night stand. She grimaced as she looked to see what Stiles had packed for her. Her toiletries out of the bathroom, her pair of grey boots, and Tessa shook her head at the fact that Stiles clearly grabbed the first things he saw: Her red one pocket shirt and jeans she had worn yesterday.

"Nice, Stiles…" Tessa trailed off to herself as she got ready for the day.

Now fully dressed and clean, Tessa padded around the downstairs as the storm died down before she felt a creak in the floor board. Suddenly, Tessa looked down to see where little claw marks had dug into the cracks between two floorboards. Tessa knew those marks! She put her fingernails into the deep crevices that the claw marks had left. After a rough pull, the floorboard came open with a satisfying 'pop'. Amazingly, Tessa saw that a black trash bag had survived the fire. She opened it to find a treasure box, _their_ treasure box.

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"What are you doing?" Derek asked Tessa as he saw Tessa squatted over an open floorboard.

"Oh!" Tessa gasped as she took a little jump "You scared the hell out of me!"

"I've heard that one before, what is that?" Derek said as he pointed to the black trash bag and open floorboard.

"I found treasure." Tessa replied as she picked up the bag and showed it to him.

Tessa wore a far away smile as she pulled out a dark mahogany box and placed it on a table.

"Amberlee and I used to play treasure hunt; one of us would draw a map and hide the treasure box. The other would have use the…oh, the map…to find the treasure" Tessa murmured as she pulled out a crinkled piece of drawing paper with a map that would have looked like meaningless scribble had it not been for the giant 'X' in the middle of it.

"She loved this game. We started with silly little trinkets, things that actually looked like treasure" Tessa explained as she pulled out a small velvet bag with fool's gold in it as she ran the small chunks through her fingers "Then we started putting things that we thought were special…treasures."

Tessa continued to pull out the contents: a stuffed dog, a piece of paper that had both of their hand prints on it, ballet slippers, photographs, and a music box.

"I used to sing Amberlee a lullaby to this box…" Tessa said as she let the box play 'rock a bye baby' while she sang Amberlee's special version of it.

_Rock a bye Amberlee_

_Up in the tree tops_

_When the wind blows_

_Your cradle will rock_

_But when the bow breaks,_

_I won't let you fall,_

_I'll be there to catch you,_

_Cradle and all_

_I'll hold you close,_

_I won't let you go._

_Whether you're good,_

_Or if your eyes glow,_

_I'll watch you grow up,_

_To be so fast, and so strong_

_Because I love you, Amberlee_

_Fangs, claws, and all._

All this time, Tessa didn't look up to see Derek's face. He remained expressionless, but his eyes said something else. Tessa finally noticed him when she was filling the box back up, had she upset him with her memories of Amberlee?

Before Tessa could ask Derek there was a knock at the door, which Derek promptly answered.

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"May I help you?" Derek asked stiffly.

"I'm looking for my daughter and I heard she might be here, may be you can help me?" Sherriff Stilinski asked in his "cop" voice.

"What makes you think she's here?" Derek asked as he leaned up against the door frame.

"I have very reliable sources, now where's my daughter?" Sherriff Stilinski asked again, his voice getting harsher and more impatient.

"I don't know, maybe you should put a bell around her neck? I'm having her fitted for a collar next week." Derek answered drily.

"You son of a-"Sherriff Stilinski began but was cut off by his daughter.

"Daddy what are you doing here?" Tessa asked in a dumbfounded tone.

"Why don't you tell me the same thing? You can imagine my surprise when I find out that my daughter is shacked up in some condemned house with a man who was at one time a murder suspect-of his own sister! I came to take you home." Sherriff Stilinski snapped at her.

"Take me home? Dad I'm a-"

"If she wants to stay here, she can stay, but right now you are on my property. So whether Tessa stays or goes is her choice but either way I want you off my property," Derek interjected, his voice low and his eyes flashing.

Sherriff Stilinski said keeping focus on his daughter.

"Fine, because I'm not talking about this here." Tessa said bitterly as she grabbed her purse before turning back to Derek giving him an "I will be back soon" look as she felt Derek squeeze her hip in response.

Tessa could _see_ Derek's eyes beginning to change and she wasn't sure what would happen after she left.

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"What were you thinking going there to a condemned building with him? They found a dead girl buried in his backyard! If you think I'm letting this fly, you are crazy!" Sherriff Stilinski snapped at his daughter.

"I know about his sister dad, I know about all of it, he told me. I am 23 years old, and what you will and will not allow isn't really relevant anymore!" Tessa shot back.

In that moment, the part of Tessa that kept her temper in check, that voice that talked to her logically said "Fuck this" and left.

"Don't take that tone with me if you are going to live in my house you are going to tow the line and that includes not seeing Derek Hale," Sherriff Stilinski stated in the tone that she never argued against.

"First of all what would you if I did see him, Dad? What will you do? Will you kick me out? Dad, I just bought an entire business in cash! I have been well paid and I've had practically no bills in my entire life, do you really think I care anymore about living under your roof or what tone I take with you anymore? Hell, I don't know why the thought didn't cross my mind before! I can have my things moved out in a day!

Secondly, why do you care all of a sudden, Dad? Why do you all of a sudden care _so much_ about what I do when you haven't given two shits since Mama died? You wouldn't even look at me for the first 6 months and all you did was focus on Stiles, you didn't even come pick me up from the airport! Stiles and a few of his friends did. Do you remember my Father-Daughter dance at the studio, Derek Hale's uncle took me to that because you never came, and all of a sudden you are on my ass and expect to be my father? Either You are a father to me or you aren't, take your pick but just stop punishing me!"

"I'm not punishing you Tess, you are just being dramatic. Why would I punish you?" Sherriff Stilinski said with a shake of his head

"Because you can't look at me without seeing her, so you choose not to and you never will because it is _so much _easier that way isn't it, Daddy? You write me off because you are a coward," Tessa finished bitterly just before her father backhanded her.

The sound was sickening as the force sent her to the ground. Tessa looked up at her father, her eyes as big as saucers. In all of her years her father never put his hands on her. Sherriff Stilinski looked down at his daughter in shock as he realized that he had just physically hurt his baby girl. Before he could apologize Tessa's eyes were filled with Tears and she was out of the side door with the grace of a Gazelle as she ran for the woods.

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Tessa tore through the forest as the storm picked up again. Her clothes were becoming heavier and her hair was dripping and parts were stuck to her face but she didn't care. She knew these woods like the back of her hand, and all she could think about was getting back to Derek.

She felt like she had been running forever, but she had plenty of distance left in her she wasn't sure how far she had gotten away from the house. At some point, Tessa thought she had just stopped caring so she ran as adrenaline mixed with sheer will and endurance. She jumped fallen trees made it steep points until not even the volcanic eruption in her lungs could stop her. Eventually, the setting sun did and Tessa had to figure out how to get out of the woods before dark. She finally found a trail she knew that would lead to a back road that could get her to the Beacon Hills Preserve. Tessa didn't plan to stop until she found the back road, but right when she was about to hit the road she had been looking for she fell hard. She turned to find a thick root and with a roll of her eyes (and mud covered clothes) Tessa began to pick herself up only to feel a sharp pain in her leg she knew it well, her knee cap was out. Right when she called out she felt a powerful pair of arms support her injured side.

"Are you alright, little lady?" The man asked as he picked her up and another came around the other side.

"I'll be ok, just let me take a seat and I can fix it. I was just going home and I took a spill that's all." Tessa said as she lightly moved toward a tree.

"You really ought to have a doctor look at it, let me take you to a hospital" The larger one said as he maintained a strong grip on her.

"A pretty little thing like you shouldn't be out after dark like this, you never know what could be out here. You should be inside where it is warm_._" The other chimed in as they picked her up.

"I really, really would prefer to just fix it myself, please; I just want to go home." Tessa said not liking this more and more by the minute.

"We_ will_ take you where you belong, I promise." The larger, younger one said as she picked her up bridal style

"Please just let me take care of myself, I will call a ride and you can stay with me while I wait," Tessa as she reached for her injured knee.

"There, there we'll take care of that I promise, just sit tight." The bigger one said as he cuddled her close to him and stopping her from popping her kneecap back in.

Tessa had no place and no way to run.


	23. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The one holding her cuddled her close again causing her knee to shift, and Tessa to scream in pain.

Who are you? Why are you doing this to me?" Tessa said gritting her teeth in too much pain to move and also trying not to tear ligaments.

"What are you thinking be gentle, you could break her." The smaller one asked.

"I'm sorry; I don't mean to be rude, I'm just happy to meet such a pretty thing. My name is Seth and that is Colden. We are going to take you home, to your new home. I promise there will be lots of people there who will take good care of you. You're going to be part of our pack; you'll be my baby sister. Then I can have lots of nieces and nephews" Seth said adjusting her one more time.

She was in too much pain to be freaked out. Tessa wasn't sure whether this was intentional or not, but it made her scream none the less.

"My knee, Please Seth, Please just let me fix my knee. I'm begging you! Colden, help me!" Tessa said as she began to writhe and sob.

"Seth let lay on her back. If Viktor finds her like this he will slaughter both of us" Colden said giving her a suspicious glance.

"Maybe…Maybe I can get it to pop back in on its own." Tessa said as she had Seth sit behind her and hold her back up on an incline.

"Ok, Little Lady, I trust you." Seth said as he watched her work.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Seth. Do you have a wallet?" Tessa asked with calculated patience. She couldn't run if her knee was out, and they were going to help her.

"Of course, Little Lady," Seth said as he passed her his thick brown wallet sitting before starting to stroke her hair in a sad effort to comfort her. God, what had Viktor told them?

Had this been a hip, leg, or arm, it would have been smooth sailing. Anything but her kneecap and this would have been a non-issue. Tessa bit down hard as she maneuvered her knee sinking her teeth into the soft leather of the wallet, without fail she felt her kneecap move and in one quick moment popped itself back in. As Tessa spit the wallet out she leaned up against Seth and letting him comfort her in spite of herself. As Seth helped Tessa up Colden slapped her back down into the mud so hard that she could barely breathe. Seth's eyes began to change at the sound of her wheezing, and gurgling muddy water.

"What did you do that for?" Seth said as he went to pick up Tessa like she made of porcelain, but Colden was faster.

Tessa tried to pull herself back up only to be pushed back down onto her face by Colden's boot.

"Stop it you're hurting her," Seth said as he pushed Colden away from her only to be met by Colden's bared fangs and claws. With two furious swipes Seth was either knocked out or dead, but as much as Tessa wanted to cry out for the compassionate fallen werewolf she couldn't find the physical strength.

"I lost two sons because of that little cunt! I want payback before we hand her back to Viktor, look you've been with her for 15 minutes and you are already wrapped around her little finger," Colden said looking down at her coldly.

Colden was fully shifted and snarling at her as he picked her up by the front of her shirt, his claws shredding it and scratching into her chest as he back handed her so hard that it knocked the wind out of Tessa. Tessa looked up into his glowing green eyes and she could tell that the only keeping him from butchering her was Viktor's wrath. Tessa looked deeply into his eyes the way she did Amberlee when she was a little girl.

She understood Colden's pain; his family was dragged here so Viktor could have the mate he wanted. His sons were placed in harm's way and taken from him by hunters, simply because of what Viktor's own selfish lust and desires. She cried not out of fear, but sadness for the rest of his pack and family.

"I'm so sorry…" Tessa wheezed never losing eye contact with Colden "I never wanted, this…I never wanted Viktor, and I don't. I want you to be happy and raise your babies in peace. I don't want you or your pack to die anymore. If you want to kill me now, I understand and I'm not afraid."

Colden's eyes softened for just a moment before his claw came down.

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Derek was moving through the forest towards Tessa's house, he hadn't heard from her after she left and his protective instincts were being kicked into overdrive as he quickened his pace into a full run. Something was wrong and, it was more than just her father. Derek's instincts didn't fail him as he heard his mates scream.

"_My knee, Please Seth, Please just let me fix my knee. I'm begging you! Colden, help me!"_

Derek ran faster than he ever had. He could smell fear and grit mix with her scent, but Tessa was hanging tough as he heard her ligaments pop themselves back into place. He felt a temporary moment of pride for his tough little mate before hearing a struggle between her two captors, and then he no longer smelled her fear but he did smell his mate's blood.

Derek finally came upon the sight of the smaller beta standing over Tessa with his claws extended. He went from human to wolf in such a fluid movement that he almost didn't realize what had happened until his fangs were ripping through the other werewolf's throat. A Rage induced blood lust that he had never felt before was unleashed. It wasn't until he heard the footsteps of the other werewolf stumbling over to his mate's body that Derek turned his attention away from the now decapitated body of Colden.

"_Little Lady…it's ok, Little Lady"_ was the ragged whisper that came from the mangled werewolf

The other werewolf was holding Tessa's lifeless body like a doll, which only served to piss off Derek more, but the site of his mate slowed his attack. Then Derek noticed the werewolves deep cut through his belly and chest. Combined with being unconscious was potentially lethal. He could smell Seth dying, and he was ready to quicken the process but until he stopped holding Tessa he didn't have a chance. Derek prowled around the werewolf waiting for the chance to off him.

Seth didn't seem to notice anything but holding Tessa. He rubbed her back and whispered to her about the babies she was going to have and the people that loved her and that he loved her, but he never mentioned Viktor's name once before laying her down gently and paying special attention to Tessa's knee before turning his attention to Derek. Seth rushed Derek with his dying breath, and Derek granted Seth's request to put him down honorably.

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The smell of Tessa's blood haunted him as Dr. Deaton saw to her. All the males were too afraid to play the blame game or fight. Scott, Stiles, and Jackson sat down in the lobby while Derek stood in a corner fighting the animal within himself.

"We heard how is she doing?" Allison said as she walked over to boys giving Stiles a hug.

Lydia stayed quiet, but gave Stiles a hug as well.

"I have a question, why are we at a Vet's office? Wouldn't it be better if she went to, ya know, a human hospital?" Lydia asked with sincere concern.

"Because she was attacked by werewolves, do you know what would happen if I brought Tessa into a hospital like that?" Derek interacted leaving out the fact that he wanted a doctor he knew…even if it was a Vet.

"Viktor?" Stiles asked solemnly.

"No, it was two flunkies but, if you hadn't gone to Daddy, Tessa would be safe at home with me." Derek continued.

All parties became silent at Derek's words.

"I didn't go running to him…" Stiles trailed off. "He overheard me talking to Scott. I tried to warn her, but she didn't pick up her phone…and you didn't pick up yours"

Derek stayed silent as if accepting Stile's explanation.

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Finally, the vet came out to the lobby of the closed office.

"Tessa was very lucky." The Vet began as he made his way to Derek and Stiles. "She had a dislocated kneecap, but luckily for her it popped itself back into place with no real sign of ligament or tendon damage but I won't know until I can perform X-rays, I put her into a splint and she will be on crutches for a few days. She had several deep lacerations on her chest, but they were cleaned out and she will need them to be cleaned out at least three times a day. There were also some minor lacerations on her throat and some serious bruising on her back, but nothing was broken as far as I can tell. Right now, Tessa is in a lot of pain which is why you found her unconscious. I'm hoping she will stay under until I can get her a sedative that won't hurt the babies. By the way, Derek I did an ultrasound your little ones are doing just fine, Mama wasn't the only one who got lucky today"

"What?" Derek and Stiles asked in unison.

"You didn't know? Derek, you should be able to at least pick up a heartbeat by now, or should I say heartbeats" The Veterinarian asked in surprise.

"How do you know already?" Stiles asked in utter shock.

"How many?" Derek asked as he blocked out anything else in the room.

"Werewolf pregnancy can be detected a lot sooner than a human can. The babies grow at a slightly faster rate. Tessa is due in about 8 ½ months." The Veterinarian explained to Stiles.

"How many?" Derek all but growled as he repeated.

"Twins, Derek. Congratulations, you are going to be a father."


	24. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Before Derek could say anything, Stiles beat him to the punch

"Holy shit," Stiles said as he fell into a chair and looked up at Derek "my sister is having your baby…"

Derek looked over at Allison and the others who gave the two room to hear what the doctor had to say before he stepped closer to Stiles.

"Don't say one word and make sure Scott and the others don't either. No one knows about this, is that understood? If anyone gets wind of this you are dead, I don't care how Tessa will react, you are dead" Derek growled lowly that only he, Stiles, and the pack could hear it.

"You don't want them to know that you got my sister pregnant? What are embarrassed or something?" Stiles said looking up at him.

"That is something your sister and I will discuss, but if I get wind of anyone saying anything the first person I am gunning for is you…" Derek gritted out "You may trust that bitch, but I don't" Derek added as he moved his head in Allison's direction before he walked into the exam room.

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It wasn't until Derek and looked down at Tessa while she slept that what he had just been told began to really register. Tessa was carrying his children, was this really happening? Maybe the doctor made a mistake? Never in a million years, had having a child crossed his mind. It wasn't that he hated children, but he was indifferent to them. He never saw himself with anyone, let alone a mate and children. The last time he had been around children of any kind was his cousins, and even then what teenage boy really thinks about a child. For the first time in a long time, Derek was scared and unsure of what to do so he just looked down at his mate.

Tessa had been sleeping for several hours now; the doctor said that it was her passing out combined with the stress of the situation. Her hair was still damp from the border line shower of a sponge bath that the Vet had Derek give her on the exam table (he knew better than to try to do it himself) and now she smelled like the soap and shampoo that he had been supplied with. She had a bump and cut on her head, and several small cuts on her throat and it looked like the werewolf that he killed first was about to rip her throat out but changed his mind at the last second. The cuts weren't deep, but they were prominent. Her skin was as white as porcelain and she looked more delicate and fragile than she normally did. Derek awkwardly began running his hands through wet hair and stroking her cheek before the Vet came in.

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Derek watched intently as the Vet put an IV into his mate.

"You're sure this won't hurt anything?" Derek asked not quite able to say babies.

"I called an old friend, a specialist in birthing humans and the like. She says that this is the best for Tessa _and the babies_. Derek, they are going to be fine. Go get some rest, and I will let you know if something changes." The Vet said as he checked Tessa's vitals.

"If she wakes up, let me know." Derek grumbled before signaling for Stiles to come in.

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Viktor went into a rage when he found his younger brother and his most trusted Beta lying on the ground.

Colden's throat had been literally torn limb from limb; his head had been taken off in just a few vicious bites. Seth's wounds weren't as severe as Colden's. The two wounds on his stomach and chest seemed to have been there long before his throat was ripped out in one clean bite. The worst part was that their deaths were in vain, he was still without his woman.

He could smell her blood on the ground and her scent was still there, Viktor could smell her scent mixing with Derek's. Derek was the one who did this and Derek was the one who hid her from him. He killed Colden and Seth for trying to protect his sweet Tessa from him. She seemed so scared that last time he saw her, when he heard her pretty voice and watched the graceful way she moved. He would make sure she would never be afraid ever again, Derek wouldn't hurt or scare her anymore. Derek Hale would pay dearly.

Viktor's primary mission was no longer taking Tessa; it was to butcher Derek Hale. One day Tessa would understand that he did what was best for them so they could share their lives together.

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Stiles grew angry at what had happened to Tessa, but he wasn't sure at whom. His father for hitting her and sending her running, Derek for being Tessa's mate and keeping her in that house, Viktor for coming after her, Allison for being there when the Doctor gave the news to he and Derek. Luckily for the pair, Scott and Jackson heard Derek's warning and had her distracted the entire time. If she had noticed they would have been able to tell. By the time he went in, Allison was gone.

Stiles held his sisters hand quietly as images of them playing together as children ran through his head. After they lost mom, Tessa took over as his mother, Stiles thought of nieces and nephews and smiled at the kind of mother Tessa would be to them. If anyone could do it on their own it would be her, and she would have him and Dad to help. The babies would have plenty of men in their life, and lots of people who loved them.

"_Tessa will do just fine without Derek" _Stiles thought as he kissed his sister's head and tried to figure out what he was going to tell their father that she was in a vets office.

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Derek stepped into the exam room of the vet's office; Tessa had been taken off the IV drip and was probably sleeping off the effects. Her heartbeat was steady and even, Tessa's hair had been combed and in a loose braid around her shoulder (most likely by Lydia). Derek noticed that her locket had survived the ordeal, and was sitting proudly on her chest. Her heartbeat was steady and even much to Derek's relief as he cupped her warm cheek and noticed it was no longer clammy.

Derek's thoughts ran to the vet telling him she was pregnant and Derek snorted at the suggestion, there was no way she was pregnant. There was no way he could have gotten her pregnant he couldn't even hear…a heartbeat. Derek gasped as he heard the little sound, it was quiet even to him, and he wasn't even sure he heard it. Then Derek looked down at Tessa and wondered, and for the first time Derek was shaking as he placed a hand to Tessa's womb. When his unstable hand touched her womb he heard them, they were tiny and so soft but the rhythm of their heartbeat was unmistakable. The two little babies were in perfect tune with their mother.

Derek kept his hand over where the babies lay and listened just to make sure that what he was hearing was real, but just as he was about to move his hands he felt a weak grip take it. Tessa's delicate hand was doing its best to hold his wrist as she let out weak whimpers.

"Easy, Tessa you're alright. Easy." Derek said as he cupped her face with his free hand once he got her to stop squirming she spoke.

"Derek," Tessa whispered meekly.

"Yea, it's me Tessa," Derek responded as he felt her grip loosen before Tessa grabbed part of his shirt and wrapped it up in her fist.

"Is this a dream?" Tessa asked lightly as if she was afraid to know.

"No," Derek responded as he took a step closer to her.

"Then kiss me…" Tessa trailed off in a strained voice before Derek pressed his lips to hers lightly.

Derek watched Tessa as she took a deep breath and gave him a small smile, but he knew she couldn't really see him.

"I love you, Derek…" Tessa whispered before she went under again.

Derek stood in the middle of the room; he just stood in the middle of the room unsure of what to do next. His mate and mother of his children just said 'I love you'. What do you do after that?


	25. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

It had been 3 ½ weeks since her attack and she had been feeling terrible ever since. She was off her crutches and the cuts on her chest were healing, but her chest was still swollen and sore even the shower was uncomfortable and she was tired all the time. The worst part was the vomiting she went to Dr. Deaton, but he said the symptoms were normal and they might take a couple of weeks to subside, but she needed to take vitamins and get plenty of rest. As of recent the vomiting had gotten so bad that she had to call Leighton to take over her classes at the studio, she was too sick to even see Derek.

Derek had been acting strangely too. He hadn't stopped speaking to her; in fact he was talking to her a lot more which for Derek was incredibly odd and he was constantly asking her how she was doing. He usually did his talking through actions, which was also off…Derek had stopped touching her, he would still kiss her and give her affection (in his own way) but now he went from putting the moves on her at least once a day to nothing, and as of recent Derek was all she wanted all the time. Very. Very. Badly. It finally got to the point where she was so irritated with everything (Derek included) that she just stayed home and did paperwork, not talking to anyone.

On this particular day, Tessa pulled her head out of the toilet long enough to make Stile's breakfast and leave her father's coffee on the table before stumbling back to the bathroom to unleash the bile that had built up while wrapping up Stile's ham biscuits. She had done everything the doctor said to do and things were getting worse. Something wasn't right and she was going to find out what it was.

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Tessa was waiting in the lobby in a pair of skinny black rollover knit ballet pants, a hip length burgundy t-shirt, under an oversized tan wool trench, and grey calf length Ugg boots. She was putting the pins in a high braided bun when Scott came to the desk. Tessa was trying hard to be pleasant but her frustration, chronic puking, and lack of loving from her normally inhumanly (even for a werewolf) horny mate mixed with her sudden hunger for a bag full of Big Macs wasn't helping either.

"Hey Tessa, what's up? Are you doing ok? I'll go get Dr. Deaton for you." Scott said immediately coming to her aid.

"I'm ok just feeling a little under the weather, thank you." Tessa murmured.

"Hi Tessa, How are you feeling? Have you been resting?" Dr. Deaton asked as he ushered her into the exam room as if sensing her anxiety.

"Yes I have and I've done everything you told me too but I feel terrible! My chest won't stop hurting, I can't stop puking and when I do all I want to do is just go through a drive thru, and I'm always tired! Oh and I can't put my pants on anymore. I'm not getting any better!" Tessa exclaimed letting her mood get the best of her.

"Oh no, I thought this might happen" The Vet said with an inward groan.

"What? That what might happen?" Tessa said in a horrified tone.

"Tessa, I need you to sit down." The vet began "Tessa, when Derek brought you to the office I gave you a full exam. I did a blood test and found Human Chorionic Gonadotropin or HGC"

"Ok…" Tessa said bracing herself for the worst.

"Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is the pregnancy hormone, Tessa. I did an ultrasound, you're having twins." The Vet explained with a deep breath.

Tessa sat in shock with her head in her hands for a moment before finally finding the ability to speak.

"You knew? Why didn't you tell me?" Tessa asked as tears filled her eyes.

"Tessa when you came in, your babies were hanging on by a thread. Finding out you were pregnant on top of not only the stress of the attack, but the injuries you sustained would have put the babies in serious danger. Your knee wasn't the only reason that I sedated you." The Vet explained with a shake of his head at his own judgment. "I had planned on telling you at our appointment next week, but I wasn't expecting development to begin this rapidly. Your body must be working hard to cater to the twins."

"I see you were working in the best interest of my babies. Thank you very much. When am I due?" Tessa asked as her eyes began to glaze over.

"August 19, 2012. Lycanthrope offspring tend to develop faster." The Vet said with a deep breath.

"Does Derek know?" Tessa asked numbly.

"Yes I told him and your brother as soon as I found out." The Vet answered.

"Alright, thank you for explaining Dr. Deaton. I guess now I don't have to be so worried." Tessa said tersely, but somehow managed to force a smile.

"Oh, Tessa before you leave, this is a ginger supplement. I planned on giving it to you next week, but I may as well do it now. Take the supplement twice a day and it should control the morning sickness, but don't be surprised if certain things still smell or taste funny." The Vet said as he watched Tessa's face slightly.

Tessa thanked the doctor one last time before telling him and Scott good-bye.

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Tessa walked across the street to her bank and took a look at the money she had been stashing away for the last 6 years letting interest build up. Not only did she make over six figures while dancing as one of the stand out ballerinas in the company, but she also received bonuses dancing for Fidel Castro and his friends all over the world. All the while she had been stashing money away in American banks as a nest egg. Now today was the day when she would need it the most. Tessa looked down in surprise. _$10,991,999.98 _

After Tessa looked at her Statement she promptly withdrew $100,000 cash and called a cab. In about half an hour she was at her destination and the proud new owner of a Mercedes GL450 SUV.

About 15 minutes down the road, Tessa stopped at a gas station and burst into tears…She was pregnant, and no one bothered to tell her.

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Derek waited for Stiles in his room after checking on Tessa. It had been almost a week since he had spoken to her and he was starting to get antsy for more reasons than one, but before he could ponder any further (like clockwork) Stiles entered the room.

"Where is she?" Derek asked as he watched Stiles jump.

"Oh Jesus Christ, Derek! Do you ever get tired of doing that?" Stiles said as he caught his breath.

"Not when I want answers, now where is she?" Derek asked coldly "Where is Tessa?"

"She went to the doctor this morning, she's been getting really sick. She only pukes like once or twice a day, but when she does its like her stomach exploded. The other day I walked in and she was on the floor crying." Stiles explained.

"And no one thought to tell me she was sick?" Derek questioned.

"Don't worry, Derek, I googled it the puking is perfectly normal. She is getting it checked out" Stiles said as he checked his phone "I got a text from Scott when she left like 2 hours ago. He said she looked rough, but sounded fine….The doctor never told her she was pregnant. That's why she has been so weird." Stiles explained "Why am I even talking to you about this, you aren't going to be involved so just leave her alone. We will take care of her; you don't need to be a father especially not to Tessa's babies. Dad and I will do it,"

"Does your father even know that she is pregnant?" Derek asked with a smirk.

"Well no-"Stiles responded.

"That's what I thought and secondly no one asked for your opinion or assumptions concerning Tessa and me" Derek gritted out as he grabbed Stiles by the collar of his shirt. "The day I let you keep her from me is the day I pull out my own finger nails. Tessa is and always will be mine,"

"What about the baby?" Stiles asked noticing he left them out.

"You mean babies?" Derek corrected as he turned to face the open window.

"What do you mean babies?" Stiles asked wide-eyed.

"She is having twins, Dip Shit." Derek said as his patience wore thin.

"Try the mall, the last time I spoke to her Tessa was there with Leighton"

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After telling Leighton the entire uncensored version of the story, she was met with an interesting surprise

"I absolutely can't believe I'm saying this, but I knew there was something different about him," Leighton said in amazement after hearing Tessa's story.

"What do you mean?" Tessa asked in surprise at the way her friend was taking it.

"Honey, he was a pale, stony-faced white boy with red eyes. If that doesn't scream 'there is something up with me' I don't know what does?"

"I can't believe you believe me," Tessa said as she plopped down on his bed.

"Sweetie, Number one, I know you are pregnant not crazy as hell at least not for the first few months and Number two, this is some 'Winchester shit' way too crazy not to believe. Now come on, we are going to do some shopping to chill you out, because DAMN. Hell I need to do some shopping to chill _me_ out."

"What's 'Winchester shit'?" Tessa asked as she tied the belt on her trench and moved toward the door.

"You know, Sam and Dean Winchester?" Leighton responded as he shut the door and lead her down the hallway.

"Enlighten me." Tessa said as she walked him to her new car only to have Leighton whirl around at her.

"If I didn't know that you were pregnant and had been dancing in a communist country for the last six years, I would tell you to go kill yourself. I have a lot to tell you."

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"You are going to put on so much baby weight," Leighton said as she shook his head and watched his dearest friend eat her fifth McDouble as they sat in the food court.

"…Thanks for the support, Leighton…" Tessa said in between a bite.

"Girl, I'm just keeping it real! If you keep going like that I'm going to be the one that has to get your narrow ass back in shape" Leighton said as he took another bite of his turkey sub.

"I'm sorry all I want anymore is meat, yesterday I ate two Big Macs, six piece chicken nuggets with a ton of ranch, and A foot-long Philly cheese steak sandwich" Tessa explained as she took a huge gulp of her coke "and there is nothing narrow about my ass"

"Touché," Leighton said as the two finished up their meals and walked toward the baby department of Saks Fifth Avenue.

"Yes, yes, yes" Leighton counted off to himself more than anyone "Tessa no! No baby of mine is going to be caught in ruffled ass leggings"

"Hi Tessa, whose baby?" Leighton turned around to see Chris Argent.

Tessa smiled warmly at Chris and hid her fear flawlessly as Leighton (like always) didn't miss a beat.

"My baby, well my niece, I've been joking with my brother that he can keep her twin but she is mine." Leighton explained as he put his arm around Tessa's waist "I'm Leighton Archibald, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Leighton added as he shook Chris's hand.

"Chris Argent, nice to meet you," Chris responded politely as Mrs. Argent approached.

"Hi Tessa!" Mrs. Argent said as she gave Tessa a hug before she introduced Leighton.

"Leighton Archibald, it's a pleasure." Leighton said with the confidence she had come to expect from Leighton as he shook Mrs. Argent's hand.

"Hi, Leighton it's a pleasure, shopping for a baby?"

"Yes, well it's for Leighton's sister's baby shower. She's having twins, and we have been having a terrible dispute all day over baby clothes. I'm giving up and buying them blankets. What are you two up to today?" Tessa asked adding on to Leighton's version of the truth flawlessly.

"Well we're doing some shopping for Allison, and well Chris got dragged along since he complains about everything I buy her. We are still having trouble finding a compromise." Mrs. Argent said ribbing her husband as Mr. Argent looked legitimately annoyed about the clothing dispute "If he had his way Allison would be in turtlenecks and overalls for the rest of her life, he's very _protective._"

"Aren't all fathers?" Leighton said stifling a grimace at the thought of overalls before letting his fashion bug take over and motioning to the stack of clothes. "May I? I've been working as a stylist since I retired."

"Well, sure take a look…" Mrs. Argent said as she handed her the source of their dispute.

"Let's see, based on size I'm assuming she has a petite frame…is she colored like her mother or her father?" Leighton questioned as she looked up at the couple.

"She looks like her mother," Mr. Argent answered eyeing the man suspiciously.

Well, first I would recommend more texture to give her a little bit more shape without showing too much skin. Secondly, I would get her a skinny or straight legged jean" Leighton began as he held up various pieces before turning his attention to what Mr. Argent was upset about by holding up a v-neck top that looked pretty sheer and winking at Mrs. Argent.

"These are to be layered and never to be worn alone, and I'm assuming that Allison already has quite a few camisoles and tank tops to wear under her clothes. It wouldn't hurt to invest in a few more in different colors. Oh and I would stick with a neutral shoe and a longer shirt to give her some length and give her an air of height. Also, if I were you I would give her more color. I'm seeing a lot of black, brown, and other earth tones…I would suggest turquoise, aqua, reds, navy blues, dark grey, or Ivory to give her some variation. A lot of these can be very conservative pieces if layered correctly with a camisole or jacket, but a scoop neckline that comes up at least three fingers above the bust or a boat neckline might be a good compromise as well." Leighton finished before looking up at the Argents who gave a dumbfounded look.

"See, this is what I have been saying…" Mrs. Argent said as she looked at her husband.

"It's not the neckline; the shirt is way too tight." Mr. Argent responded continuing to battle Mrs. Argent.

"Well actually this particular fabric stretches and yes it will conform to her, but the addition of a camisole or jacket is what helps to neutralize that." Leighton answered what Tessa called "the master of interrogation"

"You know a lot about women's clothing…" Mr. Argent prodded.

"Chris, stop it." Mrs. Argent scolded but Mr. Argent wasn't backing down and Leighton rose to occasion.

"I don't know women's clothing, I know _all_ clothing. Knowing body types and having strong product knowledge is what allows me to do my job. No two bodies are alike man _or_ woman, and if you are making the implication that I think you are making you are so barking up the wrong tree," Leighton responded with a good natured laugh and an inward eye roll as he watched the look on Mr. and Mrs. Argent's face.

Mrs. Argent looked mortified at her husband's comments and Mr. Argent looked like he had just farted in a library.

"Well I hope you have a successful shopping trip and have a wonderful rest of your day. Mrs. Argent, I hope that Allison enjoys whatever you get for her" Leighton said before Mr. Argent could speak as he and Tessa walked away arm in arm.

"Thank you so much for getting me out of there." Tessa sighed as they continued on their way to a plush baby boutique.

"Ain't no thang, I just wished I could have told what to buy for _him_, mother of God! Did you see his jacket! Seriously though, what is it with men around here and gay-dars I mean its California for God's sake?" Leighton rambled as they looked at baby blankets.

"Oh God I know!" Tessa agreed with a giggle as she picked up a warm velour and cashmere avocado colored baby blanket.

"Hey Tessa, I have a quick question." Leighton said before passing her a Burberry pajama and beanie set.

"Oh gorgeous, this is a keeper, but yea shoot." Tessa said as she ran her hand over the tiny footed pajamas before going to grab a second set in another color.

"He said his last name was Argent, like Kate Argent…The cunt that we were talking shit about an hour ago?" Leighton asked as he picked up two pairs of tan baby Uug boot booties.

"Yep, that's her brother." Tessa answered as she examined the booties and put them in the "yes pile" under her left arm.

"Oh wow, how do you act so kindly…or sleep in his house? I would have given him the finger, kicked him in the face, and then pissed on him while he was knocked out!" Leighton exclaimed as he picked up two Burberry checked blankets and turtle and duck covered hooded towels.

"Leighton the way I see it, I spent 6 years running from that fire and having a kind of hate inside of me that destroys souls. The raggedy bitch is dead now so why keep giving her the time of day by hating the Argents for her actions, but honestly I don't know what to do anymore in regard to him…Leighton, He'll kill my babies," Tessa choked out before beginning to cry.

"It's going to be alright, Tessa. I know it's going to be alright, these babies have lots of people who love them already." Leighton soothed wrapping her up in his big arms as Leighton looked up to see a man with a scar on his face standing across from the store, but Leighton's attention was quickly pulled away when a pregnant couple that approached them in the checkout line.

"Hi, is she doing ok?" The very pregnant woman asked gently.

"Oh she's fine…it's the hormones, she's having twins." Leighton explained as he paid for the clothes and accessories.

"Oh yea, I know what that's like." The man said as Leighton took he and Tessa's bags "Best of luck to you,"

"Ok, come on honey, the breeder couples are starting to stare…" Leighton trailed off as he looked at back at the man one more time and walked her out of the mall.


	26. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Rage surged through him as Viktor destroyed everything in his path, he finally found some release as his flesh tore through the flesh of a large buck. He ripped, clawed, and pulverized the buck until their was nothing left but some pulp and a ten-point rack. She was having Derek's babies, what had he done to his Tessa? He dared to make his woman cry? She had to lean on that large gay black man for support and protection instead of him. She would have to face a pregnancy alone and in close proximity to hunters and hide herself from them.

Derek disgusted Viktor he wasn't an Alpha he wasn't even a man, he had to get Tessa away from him and away from it all. He could take her back to Colorado and to his home, make her a pretty little room and a garden like the one she loved in the boy's backyard. He would make a nursery for his adopted children after all their father would be deceased. He didn't see the children as half Derek's he saw them as hers and whatever was hers would be his, and they would look just like her. The twins would be a fine starting point for their new family, and if they did look like Derek, well babies drown when left unattened for just a minute too long or from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome all the time. If Seth were still here he would have gladly taken them and raised them as his own, Seth always loved babies.

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After trips to a few other baby stores and a several maternity wear boutiques, Tessa came home slightly more relaxed than she was before now that she got to look at what she bought for the babies. Tessa was in the middle of folding crib sheets when another bout of sickness hit her. Tessa nearly didn't make it to the toilet as her lunch came back to punish her for eating so much. Heave after heave hit her like a wave, her entire digestive tract was were burning and sweat was soaking her skin before she felt a cool rag on the back of her neck and heard a voice.

"Easy does it, your mother went through the same thing. How far along are you?" Sherriff Stilinski asked kneeling down beside his daughter as he watched her head pop up out of the toilet "I'm sorry, Tessa."

"I'm almost 5 weeks along," Tessa rasped as her father handed her an open bottle of water "I'm keeping them, don't try to stop me."

"No one is going to make you do anything you don't want to do, ok? I owe you a huge apology, I haven't been good to you Tessa. I miss your mother very much" Sherriff Stilinski murmured as he cupped his daughter's clammy cheek "I couldn't deal with her being gone, and I couldn't deal with seeing this shining spitting of her it was selfish of me for pushing you away. I spent so much time mourning that I forgot that you are the most beautiful gift she has ever given me and I'm sorry I didn't see that sooner, I love you very much"

"Daddy…" Tessa trailed off with tears in her bloodshot eyes.

"Put your head back in the toilet, Tessa" Sherriff Stilinski said as he guided his daughter's head back just in time before following his daughters instructions (in between heaves) to get her ginger supplement.

"So you said 'them' how many are you having?" Sherriff Stilinski asked thoughfully as he watched Tessa swallowed the brownish red tablets.

"Twins," Tessa said as she gulped down more water.

"Twins? Lord, what did Derek do to you?" Sherriff Stilinski asked with surprise only to hear both his children retort in a horrified expression as Stiles entered the room.

"Gross, Dad!" Stiles said as his father walked out sheepishly.

"Hey Tess, want me to make you something lite to see what you can keep down?" Stiles asked gently.

"Ok, can I have some fruit and a yogurt?" Tessa said as she took one final breath leaning up against the toilet bowl.

"I was thinking something more like scrambled eggs covered in sausage grease and some Deviled Ham fried up in Crisco." Stiles said evily.

"I fucking hate you!" Tessa cried before cutting loose in the toilet one last time.

"Bananas and Strawberries are on the way!" Stiles laughed as he watched his sister somehow manage to puke and flip him off at the same time.

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Derek was covered in saw dust as he caught Tessa's scent mixed with the smell of sour vomit. Derek found her lying on the bathroom floor next to a bottle of water and a bowl of half eaten fruit. Her clothes were covered in sweat and her damp hair was stuck to her face.

"_This is what she is going through for these babies?" _Derek thought to himself as he picked her up into his arms and carried her across the hall.

Derek could hear the babies heartbeats beating strongly right alongside Tessa's as he laid her down on her bed under her swirling ceiling fan and walked over to her dresser to find some fresh clothes. After trying a few different drawers he came across some light pink cotton shorts and a flimsy white tank top that seemed to be made out of the same material.

Derek took great care with Tessa while he stripped her down and changed her into liter clothes as he listened to the three hearts beat in perfect synchronization. They were really there. Derek noticed her body changing as he removed her sweaty clothes and pulled the pins out of her hair, her breasts were growing and swollen and her hips were becoming curvier. He focused on the almost invisible belly she had as he ran his hand over her womb, the babies had gotten so much stronger and he could feel their tiny individual pulses. How could these babies really be his? He wasn't a good person and definitely not father material and he didn't know the first thing about raising a child, but here they were two babies that were counting on him and a mate that was counting on him how did he go from nothing to a family so fast?

_A family. His family _was dead, but he was looking down at his mate and two unborn children, a _family _was all packed inside of this woman…he had a family. That realization hit him hard as he ran his fingers through her now loose hair and placed her under a sheet. For days, he was asking himself what he was doing and now he had an answer.

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"I have never seen her so miserable, I thought she was going to start throwing up her stomach lining."Stiles said as he actually found himself confiding in Jackson of all people.

"You don't think it could be something major do you?" Jackson asked.

"What? Is Tessa ok?" Allison asked as she walked up to the two boys.

"She just doesn't feel well, it's a stomach bug and she isn't handling it to well." Jackson answered for an unsure looking Stiles.

"Oh, when did it start?" Allison asked giving Stiles a sideways glance.

"Just this afternoon," Stiles answered truthfully refering to Tessa's vomiting.

"Well tell her I hope she feels better…." Allison trailed off before starting a conversation with Lydia. The boys had been extremely distant lately, and she wanted to know why. Were they mad at her? Something was going on…

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It had been almost a week since he had gotten to actually be with Tessa and now he understood why, but in the days prior he kept himself busy with things that he never would have even considered doing until now.

_Day 1: Derek cleaned his house, swept, scrubbed the floors and walls, and sanded the hard wood. _

_Day 2: He called the vet for references which got him an inspector, cleaning crew, electrician, plumber, and contractors that understood his circumstances and would work discreetly. He salvaged the carpeting, the pieces of furniture, and carpets that could be saved and had them cleaned and reupholstered/refinished and sadly scrapped what he couldn't. _

_Day 3: Derek ripped out rotted and burned sheet rock, molding, and placed where bullet holes were apparent and began pulling off the burnt siding and doors. _

_Day 4: Watched cleaning crew work on the house in the morning and the electrician gut the old wiring and work on the first half of the house in the evening. _

_Day 5: Watched electrician finish on the first floor in the morning and worked through the night alongside contractors in the evening. _

Today was Day 6 and he was on one of the newer parts of his roof working on a beam while the rest of the contracts worked on the newly built half of the house. He worked with renewed vigor after having seen Tessa. He was lucky to have had the six-man repair crew that the Vet recommended; work went much faster when there were three other werewolves on the team to help rather than one werewolf and 3 humans.

The electrician had finished the bottom floor and was currently working on the repaired half of the top floor, the plumber was completely re-vamping the kitchen and bathrooms, new fixtures and countertops would be installed by the end of next week, the roof would be finished within the next two weeks, and siding and sheetrock would be installed not long after the electrician finished with the wiring and putting in light fixtures. Derek had decided that once his families old furniture was moved in, he would let Tessa pick the rest.

Derek was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a truck pull into the driveway the scent of the driver was a mix of Tessa and Stiles before he could get to a window there was a knock at the door.

"Can I help you, Officer?" Derek said as he met Sherriff Stilinski at the newly installed door.

"I'm not coming to you as Sherriff, Derek I'm coming to you as a father and grandfather. You're doing a good job out here; my tool box is in the car." Sherriff Stilinski said as he motioned to his civilian pick up.

"How did you know?" Derek asked tersely as he began to contemplated whether he was going to use his teeth or his claws to decapitate Stiles.

"I'm a father; Derek my wife birthed two children. I knew my little girl before she had a name, I know if she is pregnant." Sherriff Stilinski explained bluntly.

"I'm working on the roof, the ladder is on the other side of the house I'll work on the tussles if you take the shingles." Derek said with a nod of his head and receiving one from the older man in return as he went for his tools.

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Tessa was still sleeping soundly as she snuggled blissfully into the strong arms holding her, she could smell leather and spice.

"_Derek" _Tessa thought as she cuddled her quilt covered body closer to her mate with a dreamy smile on her face as a kiss was placed on her head.


	27. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Derek and Sherriff Stilinski were discussing the best way to alleviate the smell from the fire when Stillinski's phone rang.

"Stilinski," the Sherriff greeted switching to business tone.

"Hey Dad, have you seen Tessa? I can't seem to get a hold of her. Do you think she could be with Derek?" Stiles asked with brotherly jitters.

"Really? She isn't with Derek; I'm with him right now." Stilinski asked in a surprised tone and not noticing Derek listening to the conversation before picking up his phone and calling himself.

"Yea her car is still in the driveway and her purse is where she normally leaves it and she isn't answering her phone." Stiles answered gravely.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that something wasn't right about this.

Derek was pulled out of his own dark thoughts by Tessa's father.

"Derek, have you talked to Tessa today?" Stilinski asked as he packed up his tools.

"No I haven't, where is she?" Derek asked trying to keep himself in check.

"Stiles can't find her or reach her and Leighton hasn't seen her since this afternoon. I thought you might be able to give me some insight the last time I saw her, her head was in a toilet and she wasn't going anywhere." Stilinski explained getting more and more agitated by the moment.

"Go find her," Derek said turning away so that Sherriff Stilinski wouldn't see his eyes beginning to change "I will be right behind you,"

"Alright, Derek." Sherriff Stilinski answered awkwardly as he tried to understand the strange answer "I'll be in touch"

As he watched the Tessa's father leave the driveway Derek slammed his new door shut and unleashed a primal roar of rage that he was sure could be heard in town. Viktor had snatched her out of her own bed and away from him. He snatched the mother of his children away from him.

He would make sure Viktor knew that you _never_ touched what belonged to Derek Hale.

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Tessa woke up to hands running through her hair and kisses on her neck and shoulder, the familiar smell was still there a big bicep was a pillow as she groggily opened her eyes to a bare muscular chest.

"I didn't want to wake you but I couldn't resist, you have such lovely skin," A voice rasped as she looked up in horror.

"Oh my god!" Tessa screamed as her hands going to the wet hair that was slicking to her body.

"Don't be frightened you were sweating and you vomited in your sleep I thought you might want to get cleaned up but I didn't want to disturb you," Viktor said

"So you took my clothes off of me and saw me naked while I slept? You sick pervert!" Tessa screamed as she scrambled away from him before looking down at the lush pink satin night gown she was wearing.

"Is it so wrong that I wanted to admire my mate's beauty/" Viktor said as he filled the space between them and wrapped his arms around Tessa's waist.

"I'm not your mate! I don't even know you!" Tessa exclaimed squirming out of his arms and covering her body with her patchwork quilt.

"Of course you are, darling! I knew since the first time I saw you walking through a village in Argentina six years ago, you were wearing a pink sundress and you had a white flower in your hair I fell in love with you instantly, I knew you would be my mate." Viktor explained as he ran a hand over Tessa's cheek much to her shock.

"I was 16, Viktor. I was a child!" Tessa explained with an incredulous expression not noticing how close he was getting.

"I know I found you in a cantina dancing. You looked so sexy, but I knew that you were too young. I returned to the States with nothing but your name and promised myself that I would find you, I am an expert tracker" Viktor bragged with an almost invisible warning in his voice "I waited 6 years to find you and now here we are and you are all grown up"

"I don't have a say in any of this, hm? I've been claimed Viktor, and I have a mate." Tessa said as she watched his eyes flash at the mention of Derek.

"No, you_ had_ a mate, Tessa" Viktor said with a dark smile as he pulled her to him with her arms pinned up against his chest.

"What do you mean? What did you do to him?" Tessa said as desperation filled her voice.

"I took what was mine, I guess if you prefer to go by human standards you are a widow of sorts." Viktor said as he kissed her neck and taking full advantage of her shock as he moved her towards "their" new bed.

"Y-you k-killed him, you killed Derek and stole me away from my family and right out of my own bed because of my bad timing…" Tessa trailed off as her body went limp and her knees gave way up against the bed sending her down into the sitting position.

"I did what was necessary, Darling. He wasn't protecting you and the children, he didn't even love you. I took you to protect you from his carelessness and the hunters. You deserve so much better and this was the only way I knew to take care of you and the children." Viktor said as he continued kissing her.

"Stop it," Tessa gritted out "It's not true, it's not true! Stop touching me you don't even has the right"

"He's dead Tessa! You are MINE NOW the sooner you realize that the happier you will be!" Viktor said kissing her roughly before kissing her roughly and pinning her down on the bed so she would stop fighting. "I DO have the right, you are my woman now and I will touch you whenever I please as soon as the babies are born, I'm going to take you and you are going to enjoy it!"

Tessa was numb as she heard his words but didn't break eye contact with him as her eyes filled up with tears.

"So you're going to rape me and force me to except the bite? You are an animal" Tessa rasped huskily as her body went limp her children were the only thing tying her to this world before Viktor got off of her and pulled her roughly to him by her arm and circled an arm around her waist and grabbed her roughly by the hair and kissed her roughly coaxing her lips apart before invading her mouth without abandon.

"I'll come back when you are done throwing your childish tantrum," Viktor said darkly as he wiped his mouth and threw her to the ground.

Tessa laid in horror, pain sweeping over her as she heard the door lock. Viktor's pack grimaced with pity for Tessa as screams filled with grief for her mate ripped through their temporary compound.


	28. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

**Tessa sat on the big black bed in a short black halter-topped romper, she did nothing but sit on the bed eating some bacon and fruit and thinking solemnly.**

**Tessa had lost track of the time that she had been in the windowless room. She was tired and broken she did very little for herself anymore, and everything was about the babies. She ate and slept for the babies' sake after all they were the only piece of Derek she had left after Viktor stole her locket from her while she was in the shower and replaced it with silly trinkets. She was being catered to well, she was given pretty clothes and food that she had to admit begrudgingly was delicious. **

**Yet, she was never allowed to leave the room without Viktor present he said it was because he didn't want other men around her without him present. He would often talk to her about everything and she would listen but essentially remain quiet unless asked a question which she would answer almost robotically. A part of her refused to believe that Derek, the father of her children, was gone. Viktor often told her that he would be adopting the children once they were born and the thought absolutely disgusted her. **

**The worst part came at night, she couldn't even find solace in her sleep, every night he came to her while she played possum and talked to her about all the things he wanted to do to her and how badly he wanted to touch her body and sometimes he did. She would feel his erection up against her loins while he snuck touches of her breasts and backside in the guise of spooning and cuddling close to her. There were times where Tessa could feel his hand moving up and down his cock while he touched her, but she was too afraid to open her eyes or even let herself cry she just laid still, praying it would be over soon.**

_**Flashback: **_

_**The first night Tessa laid on the bed with little to no strength left in her body she had cried and screamed for Derek and her children. It seemed that her body was giving her one moment's escape as she finally cried herself to sleep. Tessa was in and out, but she heard someone padding around her room they were heavy footsteps that she recognized with dread. **_

_**Tessa kept her eyes closed and prayed that he would leave her be, but her hopes were soon dashed as the blankets beside her were pulled down and she was picked up bridal style, but Tessa did her best to keep her body limp as she lay in Viktor's shirtless arms. Tessa felt his lips touch hers lightly before he laid her back down under the covers of the bed and climbed in beside her. **_

"_**I'm so sorry for snapping at you today, Tessa." Viktor murmured to her lovingly as he draped his arm around her waist and cuddled her close to him "I hope you can understand, Darling. Derek stole you from me. You were mine from the moment I saw you, you were all I wanted and needed" **_

"_**Snapping at me? He must be joking." Tessa thought as she listened to him as she fought the horror of knowing that he was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and the realization that his erection was poking her backside while Tessa was forced to listen. **_

"_**You have no idea how long I have waited for this one beautiful moment where I would be holding you in my arms in my bed like this. I want to savor every moment that I have with you my sweet Tessa. I hope one day you can understand why I've done everything I have. We'll be happy and have a beautiful life together in Colorado. Then when our babies come, I will finally be able to make love to you the way I've been dying to from the moment I met you" **_**…**

**In the past few days, Tessa had one thing that kept her sane and that was Eve. Eve was most likely the oldest woman in the pack. Every day, Eve would bring Tessa her meals and clothes in the morning. When Tessa would vomit she would give her tea and place a cool cloth on the back of her neck. Eve was mute but she would listen and kept Tessa entertained so that she wouldn't go crazy. **

**Today, Tessa and Eve ate roast beef and cheddar sandwiches, tomatoes stuffed with California style chicken salad, and yogurt with granola while they listened to a audio mystery novel that Tessa managed to get into, she always felt like her old self when she was with the elderly woman. Tessa held yarn for a knitting Eve while she sipped on Dr. Pepper and nibbled at her chicken salad as Tessa listened to the pop of the door knob. **

"**There are my girls!" Viktor greeted as he made his way to the two women while Eve smiled, hit the pause button, and accepted a kiss on the cheek from Viktor.**

**Tessa followed suit giving Viktor a smile for Eve's sake which pleased Viktor to no end. **

"**My beauty," Viktor murmured as he placed a kiss on her lips. **

"**What are you two up to?" Viktor asked as he took a tomato and sat beside Tessa. **

"**We were listening to a murder mystery," Tessa answered as she focused on the soft cashmere like yarn. **

"**Ah, when we get home I have a TV so that you at least have something to watch, darling" Viktor said as he began to eat. **

"**I like this Viktor it's our thing, right Eve?" Tessa explained turning her attention to the older woman with a genuine smile and receiving a smile and nod in return. **

"**I'm glad you two enjoy each other's company, and hopefully a good movie can be our thing when we get home" Viktor responded as he picked up his paper plate and kissed the two women. Eve on the head and Tessa on the lips "I have some work to finish taking care of but I will be back to join you for dinner, darling" **

"**Yes, Viktor" Tessa murmured in response as she looked up at him with a smile that masked her grimace at sharing a meal with him. **

**As Soon as she heard the door shut Tessa pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes with a sigh. **

_**Darling. My love. My sweet mate. My sweet Tessa. **_**The list of pet names he had given her could go on for days and days. Derek never called her by a pet name or resorted to constant flattery. Derek would place his hand on the small of her back, squeeze a hip or thigh, or run his hand up and down her arm when no one was looking and he called her Little Red Riding Hood when he wanted to show her endearment. Derek talked with her about their lives and memories they shared of his family, he debated morals and opinions with her whereas all Viktor did was talk about was how pretty she was and what he was going to give her. Derek would have just given it to her and been done with it. **

**Tessa was torn out of her thoughts by the sound of the murder mystery as she looked up to see that Eve had returned to her knitting. **

**The two women continued listening for hours until the story and Eve's knitting came to a satisfying ending. Tessa was putting the CD's of the story back into their cases when she felt Eve tap her on the shoulder and hand her a soft brown leather tote and motioned for Tessa to open it. Tessa could not have been more amazed at what she found, Two baby blankets: One a light green and the other a soft peach along with two matching caps and booties. Eve also made Tessa a mid thigh length sweater for her to wear to offset some of the skimpier pieces Viktor had her in, but before Tessa could thank her Eve pulled one more gift out from a secret compartment in the tote…Tessa's locket. **

**Eve did something Tessa had never thought to do and that was open it to reveal a picture of a slightly younger Derek. Tessa's eyes filled with shock and joy as she took the locket from Eve's hand as the old woman placed a finger to her lips and pulled out a similar locket and opened it to show a young Eve and her husband smiling on opposite sides of the locket. Tessa began to cry as the woman took Tessa's face in her hands and kissed her forehead. **

**Eve placed a hand on her own chest and before placing it on Tessa's and handing Tessa her own locket before hugging the younger woman in tightly and leaving the room.**

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**Derek and Stiinski split up to look for Tessa two hours after the call from Stiles. Stiles and Lydia searched with the Sherriff and Scott and Jackson searched with Derek. **

** After 5 days of searching, the three werewolves picked up Tessa's scent mixed with another, they followed the trail into the woods by her house. The smell was becoming stronger as they reached the center of the forest, when they discovered the oldest trick in the book. Tessa's pink satin nightgown was in the hands of an elderly woman.**

**Derek growled as he approached the woman with fangs and claws extended she would live long enough to tell me what he wanted to know. **

** "You must be Derek, Tessa told me you were a charmer, my name is Eve" The old woman said without flinching at the younger Alphas bared fangs. **

** "Where is she?" Derek growled. **

** "I'm letting you know that she is safe from him for the moment the threat of losing her children is the only thing keeping her safe from the bite. She misses you dearly, my husband owned a property 20 minutes away from here, this is the address and here is the key." She explained as she handed him an envelope and Tessa's nightgown.**

** "Why are you doing this?" Jackson asked before anyone else could. **

** "I didn't raise my son to kidnap." Eve answered solemnly (choosing to leave out murder and borderline rape so that Derek didn't act rashly.). "My husband of 67 years was killed by my brother-in-law to ascend to Alpha and my son killed him for revenge. Now, my son has stolen a scared and pregnant young woman from her mate. My youngest son, my baby, died trying to protect her from another Beta. He lied to me when he told me why we were coming here and that she was willing to be with him…Derek I am a tired old woman who has seen too much pointless bloodshed because of selfishness and greed. I don't have much time left on this Earth and I want to find a place to live out my last days in peace even if it is all alone. Tessa's and the children's place is with you. It pains me as a mother to say this, but this madness ends now. Go get her Derek and bring back-up with you there are at least 5 other betas that haven't been sent back to Colorado." **

**Derek answered her with a nod and took the nightgown that she had extended to him. **

** "There is one last thing Derek," Eve said with a deep sigh and unshed tears in her sad silver eyes before giving him a slight smile "You killed me, is that understood?" **

** "Yes," Derek said as he shared a brief moment of understanding. **

** "Best of luck, darling boy" Eve said as she wished the boys farewell and disappeared into the forest. **


	29. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27 **

Tessa sat in front of a mirror getting ready for a formal dinner with Viktor, she felt repulsed with herself as she looked at herself in her makeshift vanity. Her hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail and her make-up was flawless: smoky eyes and wine colored lips that matched her strapless burgundy sheath. She looked beautiful, anything less would have Viktor taking her back to her room and dressing her personally, a threat he had made the last time the two took a meal together, and that was a bluff she wasn't willing to call. Viktor was gunning for her and he wouldn't miss an opportunity to take her clothes off.

She wished Derek was there to see her, he loved red on her, and all she needed was a cape. A day didn't go by that she didn't think about Derek, and tonight he seemed to stand out the most as she clasped a necklace from Viktor around her neck and looked at herself in the mirror. Tonight it was how he acted in those short weeks after her attack; just before she found out she was pregnant.

Derek never mentioned the babies, but he was constantly talking to her about things he never showed interest in before like caring for Amberlee and drywall. She often caught him walking around the house late at night looking around with his hands in his pockets. She always found him in one room in particular. It was in relatively good condition despite the broken windows and burned lace curtains, just looking around at it before grumbling at her about how she needed her rest and sending her back to his bed with a stern look and a swat on the backside. He would often ask her if she was hungry or thirsty and keep his hand on the small of her back just a little bit longer than usual.

Considering the aftermath of what had happened she didn't really read into it too much but two things were unavoidable. Derek was not only a fixture at the studio, but he was sitting in on her classes as well. He would watch her teach with Leighton at her side and according to Leighton his face never changed but his eyes stayed on her. His jaw would tense up as he watched her move across the floor with her students and he even went to his feet when she lost her balance during a turn and nearly fell had it not been for Leighton's quick reflexes. Also, Leighton described how intently Derek watched her while she was with the toddler and baby classes, those were the times when he paid the most attention not just to her, but the children as well.

Leighton took great pleasure in telling her the story of the closest thing to a smile Derek had shown to date.

Derek had been sitting in his normal chair watching the class only to have his gaze distracted by a tiny hand tapping gently on his knee. Derek looked down to find a little blonde girl in a purple tutu looking up at him with rosy cheeks and big brown doe eyes.

"I Madison, wanna dance?" the little girl asked as she pointed at the floor where all the other children were practicing with ribbons on rainbow colored mats.

Before Leighton could grimace at Derek's reaction, he watched Derek's face relax.

"My name's Derek. Thank you for asking, but maybe another day, Madison" Derek answered as he turned his lips upward ever so slightly.

"Ok, Derek, Love you, bye-bye." Madison answered with a shy smile before toddling back to her ribbons.

Leighton laughed the most at the teen jazz classes, where apparently the real entertainment began. Derek's gaze was so hot on her as she ran choreography in her tight t-shirts and short jazz shorts with her teens as she heard whispers about how hot their guest was and giggles about how "Miss Tessa is so lucky!" before being brought back to focus by Leighton. Tessa would sneak glances at him and she would see his eyes flash red for her, but he would never touch her.

Derek wasn't conventionally affectionate and for whatever reason she understood that from the get-go. However, one thing he was when it came to her was all animal. She had a hard time remembering a day since they had first had sex when she didn't end up naked at some point or another (at her house or his), he couldn't keep his hands off of her. Yet now when they went to bed together at night, Derek wouldn't do anything other than hold her and give her a kiss good night. During the day, Derek would reject (although making it clear it was reluctant) her advances even when she would come to him naked. Derek would let out a low growl close his eyes and tell her to put her clothes back on because she had class or another lame excuse that would always end in "I don't want you to wear yourself out". When the fuck did Derek not like making her walk into a class with legs that felt like jelly. The part that finally made her stop talking to him all together was when he started telling her not to come to the house.

Looking back on it, she was beginning to understand why he did what he did she just wished he was there to hold her, to rescue her. She giggled at the mental picture of Derek riding in on a white horse in shining armor before tears filled up her eyes, but her tears ended as quickly as they began when she heard the lock on her door pop.

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Derek had sent the boys home after they took out the guards, neither of them had it in them to kill and they knew it (even though Jackson protested otherwise), but Derek did and when it came to Tessa he wouldn't just kill, he would slaughter. He managed to get around the electric fencing after taking out both of the guards. He walked the roof tops and worked to pick up Tessa's scent, but before he could pick it up she beat him to the punch. He could hear Tessa's voice; she was fighting back with Viktor.

"_That's my girl, come on baby just a little bit longer…" Derek thought to himself as he followed her voice._

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Tessa sat across from Viktor in a glass walled conservatory, the sun was setting and all that could be seen around her was a wrought iron fence and trees… trees, and more trees.

Many times, Viktor had laced his fingers through hers and lead her around the grounds of a beautiful home. Under other circumstances she would have adored the strong resemblance to a castle that the gothic inspired designs and sprawling hills gave it, she would have loved Eve's flower garden, and who knows maybe she might have even loved Viktor? That was how things were supposed to be like, spending your life the one you loved dearly and raising a family in a warm home? Yet here she was caught in Viktor's morbid world as his 'loving, darling mate', just last week she had what she pictured of a family no matter what it would (realistically) look like.

She had no way out, and running through woods in a place she didn't know, that Viktor clearly did and pregnant would have been murder suicide. Tessa could only imagine what Viktor would do to her when he caught her, most likely rape her and kill the babies. Tessa took a deep breath and resigned herself to the fact that she had no way out…_'I'm an expert tracker'_

"You're awfully distracted tonight, Darling tell me what are you thinking of?" Viktor said lightly as he disguised his command as a question (which he did often)

"Trees…" Tessa trailed off dreamily as she tore her gaze away from the window and back to him with a gentle smile.

"Trees?" Viktor answered with amused skepticism as he cut his New York Strip.

"Yes, Trees" Tessa began before pointing to the white fence that surrounded Eve's garden "See, plums, cherries, peaches, and apples…I used to tend to cherry and plum trees at home with a little boy I took care of I was supposed to see his new Apple tree" Tessa continued as she pointed out each one, too defeated to even bat an eye at Viktor's skepticism.

"Ah, Mother loves those father gave them to her for their first wedding anniversary…I'm glad you and my mother get along so well" Viktor said as he turned his attention to the window as Tessa choked on her grape juice.

"Mother? Eve?" Tessa asked clearing her throat.

"Yes, I should have told you...mother hasn't spoken since father died." Viktor said wistfully.

"I can have a garden made for you as soon as we return to Colorado." Viktor said as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"I'd rather do it myself, besides its winter they won't get a strong root base if I plant them now" Tessa began as she put a small bite on her fork and realizing what she had just said "Spring time would be best maybe I could show you how to garden?" Tessa finished doing her best to sound grateful and avoid Viktor's temper so that she didn't get launched back into her room like last time she spoke her mind.

"Perhaps, I'm a much better hunter than a gardener" Viktor r said with a gleam in his eyes as he looked her over.

"Oh, what do you hunt?" Tessa asked weakly trying to avoid that horrible gaze that he gave her so often.

"This and that," Viktor answered with a pleased look on his face at her curiosity.

"I do have something I wanted to talk to you about tonight, my beauty" Viktor said as he stood up from the table and taking her hand and putting his arms around her as he ran his hands stiffly up and down her back as he fought not to throw her on the ground and taking what he had been dying to have.

"Yes, Viktor?" Tessa answered with a forced smile.

"Well, you know how much I love you and I can tell how strongly you feel for me too. I know our relationship hasn't always been conventional but I would like to think that eventually this whole matter might be something that we can laugh with our grandchildren about one day" Viktor began as he reached into his pockets.

Tessa fought the disgust and anger that had been boiling inside of her as she tried to stay focused on the babies.

"And I've come to realize that I don't just want to be your mate, but your husband as well," Viktor continued as he went down to one knee "Marry me, Tessa" Viktor finished-god forbid he ask her.

"Of course, Viktor" Tessa answered softly as she let Viktor put a disgustingly expensive looking diamond wrapped 1.5 carat engagement ring on to her finger.

"It's beautiful, thank you Viktor" Tessa said as she looked down at it painfully at the beautiful ring…_what every little girl dreams her prince would give her_…

"Only the best, my darling" Viktor said as he took her into his arms and spun her around in his arms before giving her a not so chaste kiss, in fact it was the most mortifying one to date as she felt his large hand squeeze her backside as he let out a groan.

Tessa tried to protest but her arms were locked up against him and her squirming only made her get closer to him which only seemed to egg him on as his hand went up her skirt, his lips and tongue were muffling her screams until he finally had to let go of her for air but his fingers weren't going anywhere.

"Viktor, please…." Tessa pleaded as she tried to squirm away from his hands.

"This isn't going to hurt the children, besides, we are going to be married as soon as we return to Colorado…that way you won't be a blatantly pregnant bride then after the babies are born we can start on giving them brothers and sisters" Viktor explained as he cupped the top of her thigh.

"Is it really that simple to you?" Tessa asked giving him a sideways glance, temporarily ignoring his hands groping her.

"That's all there is to it anymore, Tessa I know that this hasn't been easy and I promise we will eventually we will come back and see your family but for right now I want you to myself" Viktor answered pulling her closer.

"You've turned my world upside down and taken everything I've ever known and love away from me, why don't you see that?" Tessa said as her body went weak in his arms.

"Well, now I'm giving you a new world and I'm giving you new experiences and new family. Tessa, I know there is going to be a period of adjustment between us but eventually you will come to understand that I was doing what was best." Viktor said trying to remain patient with her.

"Why do you always do that, you always talk about giving me things and give me little things you think I want….all I want is a choice! A choice is all I wanted, Viktor-you took everything from me and never once asked me what I wanted because you didn't care-you don't care! You took away my family and you killed the father of my children, all I have left are these babies and when they are born you will take them too." Tessa said as she pulled away from him with all of her might.

"Tessa if I were you, I wouldn't ever bring him up ever again and those babies are now my babies you are mine. I have been incredibly patient on all levels with you and extremely considerate of your and the babies health, even thought my desire for you is wearing my patience thin every day. I admit I was over zealous in my pursuit of you and I'm sorry that had to be the case but there is no use in staying upset about it. One thing I have always loved about you is that you are a quick and rational thinker but right now you are throwing a ridiculous and uncalled for tantrum. I highly recommend you calm down and return to your seat so we can finish our dinner" Viktor ordered, his teeth gritting more with every word as he moved to assist her back to her seat.

"Stop touching me, you always touch me! No, no…we're finishing this now!" Tessa responded as she pushed his hands away from her, not caring that his eyes were changing color "You have taken everything from me: my love, my life, my dignity, and at times my will to live…but I will slit my own throat before I let you take away my say over my own body. You're right, I'm in your possession an all of my choices are gone but my say over my body is the one thing I won't let you have, it's all I have left that is truly mine! How can you love me, if you take my choices from me?"

Viktor's eyes were no longer human, but Tessa didn't care anymore she had snapped, and not even Viktor grabbing her by the arm in a grip that would make Anacondas go 'damn that's harsh' dragged her all the way to her room. Tessa thought that he was only going to throw her in there, but she got sent back to reality when she was thrown onto the bed with Viktor standing over her.

"I really didn't want to have to do this, Tessa…I wanted to give you something special, something passionate but I want you badly and some boundaries need to be set" Viktor said as he unzipped his pants and flipped her over onto her stomach so she couldn't fight as hard.

Tessa kicked and screamed and tried to pull herself away from him but the grip he had on her was like and iron vise as he held her up and ripped open the front of her dress and began to grope her breasts and rubbed and cupped her threw her panties.

"Please, Viktor…Please stop. Don't do this…." Tessa screamed as she dug her nails into his hands "Stop it!"

"You don't give me orders, Darling…I have waited too long to get my hands all over you" Viktor gritted before kissing her roughly and throwing her back down on her stomach and shredding the back of her dress "If that means fucking the shit out of you rather than lovemaking then so be it, I've always preferred it rough-this is going to be so fucking good. Beg me to stop now, but you will be begging me to fuck you harder by the time I'm done" Viktor growled as pulled her up by the back of her back of her bra and thrusting his erection up against her backside and slapping her hard before cutting through the back of her bra "So. Fucking. Good."

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"_I've always preferred it rough-this is going to be so fucking good. Beg me to stop now, but you will be begging me to fuck you harder by the time I'm done"_

Derek had made it from the Conservatory to the bedroom just in time to hear those words mixed with his mate's screams only to be distracted by a hand on his back that he recognized as Jackson just before he ripped his arm off.

"She's the closest thing I've ever had to a mother, I would die for her and I will sure as hell kill for her" Jackson said to the older werewolf.

"Get her out of here, Viktor is mine!" Derek said as he and Jackson ran for the door.

"_So. Fucking. Good"_

I t was at those words and Tessa's screams that Derek Hale was gone and the Alpha, everything animal inside of him, was unleashed.


	30. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Tessa's body was raked with sobs as she felt Viktor's rod prepare to penetrate her, but before she felt her body be ripped apart she heard a shattering sound followed by a roar that was filled with blood lust only to be followed by Viktor's screams of surprise and rage turn to growls. Before Tessa could turn to look up she had her sweater thrown at her and patchwork quilt covering her and a pair of arms picked pick her up bridal style, the last thing she remembered was the smell of leather.

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The Alpha that was once Derek Hale tasted Viktor's blood with pure satisfaction as his fangs tore through Viktor's thick shoulder, only a few inches away from his throat as his claws tore through Viktor's rapidly changing biceps. Viktor not to be outdone dug his hind legs in Derek's waste and clawed ruthlessly down to just above the Alpha's kneecaps but he was in too much of a rage to care.

'_Blood. Blood. Blood.' _were the only words going through the Alpha's head as it ripped into Viktor's face before being kicked back through the wall of Tessa's prison.

The Alpha's anger was almost too much to contain as he jumped back through the massive hole in the wall only to be met with Viktor's claws as they sliced the Alpha's chest open, but it was a pain the Alpha within Derek shut off and there was nothing left but a predator something more wild and primal than even the most wizened Alpha could fathom and few had ever seen. Derek Hale was no longer there.

"I'm going to rip your heart out and serve it to Tessa as an appetizer at our wedding, you piece of shit!" Viktor growled as he went for the Alpha's throat

"Come get it then…" The Alpha growled as he effortlessly stepped aside.

Viktor wasn't ready for the animal inside of Derek, the human emotions and connections were gone. There was only one thing in the Alpha's mind 'kill'.

"She would have enjoyed it…I would have made sure she did…it just would have been a little rougher than what I was hoping our first time would be." Viktor taunted as the two Alphas began to circle each other.

_His mate, Tessa. Tessa…Screams…babies…blood…kill….screams…Tessa…rape…Tessa…screams…'so. fucking. Good.'_ The words and images registered with the animal and kept running through his mind as he tore into Viktor with a vengeance.

_Tessa. Tessa. Tessa. Little ones, 3 heartbeats. _

Those memories fueled the Alpha, but forcing Derek to shine through and Viktor was capitalizing on the temporary weakness as he launched Derek through the opposite side of the windowless wall. Derek's body slammed through two walls before he finally flew through the stone wall of the house. Derek was now laying in the cool grass in a stupor, but his senses were still in overdrive as he heard the other Alpha approaching.

As Derek gathered himself for his next attack he felt Viktor's nails rip into his throat, but before Viktor could finish the job a blur of silver and white flew over him and dug its claws and fangs deep into Viktor's chest…a third Alpha. He could hear Viktor's roars followed by shrill screams of pure agony before he finally managed to fling the wolf up against the wall after cutting cleanly through its stomach. Viktor reeled over and screamed at what had become of him. The silver Alpha gored Viktor's left shoulder and ripped Viktor's genitals off, and Derek didn't wait a second before taking advantage of Viktor's weakness as he cut through the back of Viktor's knees so he was lying on his back looking up at Derek as both men returned to human form.

"You were going to rape her and possibly kill the babies…my babies, normally this would be the part where the good guy would come out of nowhere and try to say that vengeance wasn't worth it and that doing this wouldn't make me any better than you" Derek gritted out as he raised his clawed fist high above Viktor's throat "Well I'm not the good guy" Derek said as he tore his claws through Viktor's throat.

"The good guy can go fuck himself" Derek said as he watched Viktor's eyes roll back.

Derek felt humanity come back to him as he made his way back to the wall that he'd been tossed through…the sooner he got back to Tessa the better. However, he was stopped by the white and silver Alpha. Blood was matted at the stomach and a deep gash was in its throat. Derek studied the silver and white fur of the full wolf as it returned to human form. He pitied the Alpha, it was clearly old and it seemed that it had used its last bit of strength to attack Viktor.

It was the old woman…Eve.

"I always told him that if he hurt a woman I would tear it off…" Eve rasped as she fought to breathe.

"Your wounds can most likely heal themselves if I can just stop the bleeding…" Derek said in the tone of a lieutenant helping his fellow soldier as he squatted down beside her to apply pressure to her wounds but he was stopped by her old bloodied hand.

"No, Derek…I'm nearly 100 and I'm very tired, that was all I had in me. I wasn't lying when I said I didn't have much time left" Eve said as she wrapped her frail fingers around Derek's firm hand "My mate and I, we were two very different people and Alpha's of two very different packs, but somehow we fit together. After he died, I hadn't been living, there is this terrible ache inside of me like the other half of my soul was gone and I am ready to go home to him…it's my time. There is a brown leather bag by the bed take that to Tessa-there are things in there for my grandbabies. If she asks do this" Eve said as she placed a hand over her hear and placing it over Derek's. "Is that understood?" Eve finally finished as Derek listened to her heart slowing its pace.

"Yes" Derek answered stoically as he put a hand over Eve's.

"Farewell, darling boy…" Eve answered.

Eve finally got to go home to her mate…

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"Tessa, Come on, Ms. Tessy wake up…I love you Ms. TEssy wake up…" Jackson said rocking Tessa as he held her in his with her head resting on his chest, the way she had always done for him.

"mmmm…" Tessa groaned as she pushed up and away from Jackson.

"It's ok…you're safe…" Jackson soothed as he watched her eyes begin to clear up with recognition.

"Jackson…." Tessa whispered as she took his face in her hands and began to sob.

"The one and only…" Jackson trailed off as he held her tight before he felt her cringe.

"No….no….no . This can't be happening this can't be happening!" Tessa screamed as she held her womb and felt the worm blood between her legs.


	31. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"Where is she?" Derek growled as he tossed Jackson up against the wall of the hospital, not noticing the presence of Stiles and Sherriff Stilinski, all he could smell was Tessa's blood.

"Derek, calm down…" Sherriff Stilinski said as he did his best to pull Derek off of Jackson "Tessa is fine, now she is in the exam room; they are checking her out right now."

Derek tossed a brown bag onto a chair and glared at Jackson, he could smell Tessa's blood and it was making him crazy….he brought her to a _normal_ hospital while she was pregnant with _his _babies. Derek felt the rage coming back with a vengeance, he had to get away.

She was bleeding…_Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood._

Derek grabbed the brown leather bag and twisted it in his fist only to find a hard nub digging into his hand. _The bag_, he hadn't even thought to look inside….Tessa's locket…The old woman…damn.

All of the clothes Eve had made for the babies were so tiny, would they really going to be this small? He had never even thought about them let alone what they would look like. What if Viktor had already raped her, what if he was too late and the babies were gone?

Derek bowed his head as he closed his hands around a little pair of peach booties.

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"How's Tessa?" Scott asked as he walked in with Lydia who made a bee line for Stiles.

"We don't know yet. Derek and Jackson found her in the woods, no sign of her kidnappers" Sherriff Stilinski answered with a faraway look in his eyes.

"That must have been quite an ordeal," Chris Argent said as he walked up with a pained looking Allison.

"We've had quite a night" the Sherriff said with a glint in his eye as he stepped toward Mr. Argent. The silent chess battle had begun.

"Did they say what happened to her?" Mr. Argent asked almost boldly.

"We don't know yet, but I'm sure we will soon" The Sherriff said as he turned his attention to the emergency room door.

Derek glared at Scott and Allison as he approached him before grabbing Scott by the back of the collar and yanking him over to where Jackson stood.

"I didn't say anything…he overheard Allison on the phone." Scott whispered to Derek

"Does she know?" Derek gritted with closed eyes.

"Allison?" Scott asked.

"No your mother of course, Allison" Derek said as he tried to control what the smell of Tessa's blood was doing to him.

"If he finds out anything…" Derek growled but was cut off by a prim young Indian woman in pink scrubs and a white lab coat.

"Mr. Stilinski…" The woman began as she approached the sheriff with a stern face "My name is Dr. Abhaya Iyer and I'm seeing to your daughter"

"Yes Doctor, how is she?" Sherriff Stilinski asked with white knuckles.

"Excuse me; I do believe this is private conversation between myself and my patients next of kin…kindly step away" Dr. Iyer said with a particular bite to her tone as she shifted her gaze to Chris Argent and then back to Tessa's father. "You're daughter suffered no serious injuries and no signs of sexual assault are apparent. However, she has contracted a serious case of TSS or Toxic Shock Syndrome…it is a life threatening condition but we seem to have caught it in time and she should be out within a few days. Would you like to come see her?"

"Absolutely," The Sherriff said as he looked back at his family before giving a nod to Derek.

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Sherriff Stilinski looked down in sadness at his daughter; she looked so peaceful…just like her mother did. It was like looking back in time.

"She is only sedated." Dr. Iyer explained "When she first came in she believed she was miscarrying and went into hysterics, we knew we had to put her out when she was begging me to kill her, and the father is Derek Hale correct?"

"Yes" the Sherriff answered trying to understand what was going on "I will go get him for you..."

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"Doctor Iyer says one visitor at a time…" the Sherriff said as he stared down the Argents.

"You go first, Derek…I'm probably going to sleep here tonight" Stiles said catching on to his father's actions.

Derek nodded as Dr. Iyer directed him to the back.

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Tessa's make-up was a mess and her hair looked like a rat's nest and he could still smell her blood.

"The TSS was just a rouse for Mr. Argent, but she was a wreck when they first brought her in, she was begging me to kill her," Dr. Iyer said softly.

"Why is she here…really?" Derek asked keeping his eyes focused on Tessa.

"I'm a specialist, Dr. Deaton called me about some vaginal bleeding and we both thought it would be better for both Tessa and appearances if Tessa was brought here. Tessa was hysterical to the point where we had to sedate her." Dr. Iyer said as she checked Tessa's vitals.

"She lost the babies didn't she?" Derek asked as he gripped the brown bag _'He was too late'_

"Not quite…" Dr. Iyer said as she pulled up Tessa's gown and flipped on a machine.

"What are you doing?" Derek asked before being stopped by Dr. Iyer.

"You'll see" She said as she squeezed a clear gel onto Tessa's stomach while Derek wrapped his hands around Tessa's tiny limp hand and looked up to see something he wasn't expecting.

On the screen were Tessa's womb and two little lime-sized babies with heartbeats in perfect sync.

"You said she was bleeding…" Derek said as he looked down at Tessa and then back at the screen.

"She had something called a Threatened Miscarriage, it is common in women who haven't hit the 20 week mark, the uterus bleeds, but the cervix doesn't soften or dilate. Tessa was under a terrible amount of emotional stress and her body was making it known that if the environment remains the same a miscarriage is possible. Many women have a threatened miscarriage and go on to have perfectly normal pregnancies. Just to be safe, I want Tessa on bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy." Dr. Iyer said as she ran the wand over Tessa's stomach.

"They're moving," Derek responded as he looked at the babies.

"Yes, they are kicking but Tessa can't feel them yet. Lycanthrope babies tend to develop faster. Tessa is only about 6 weeks along, but the babies are at the ten week development stage. We will be able to tell the gender in a couple of weeks." Dr. Iyer said as she began to point out the babies' toes, fingers, and eyelids.

"Mmmmm" Tessa mumbled as her hands went weakly to her stomach.

"Tessa, my name is Dr. Iyer I'm your doctor, you're safe now…" Dr. Iyer said as she wiped Tessa's stomach and pulled her gown down in one fluid movement.

"No…." Tessa said squirming away "My babies…"

"Are just fine…" Dr. Iyer soothed "Right, Derek?"

"Don't even say his name you bitch, show some fucking respect…oh god…oh god…am I dead?" Tessa asked as she put her face in her hands.

"No, Tessa…I'm here, and the babies really are fine" Derek said as he took her face in his hands in order to get her attention.

"Derek….is this a dream?" Tessa trailed off as she reached out and touched his face urgently.

"No," Derek answered as he ran a thumb over her cheek.

"Then kiss me," Tessa whispered before Derek kissed her gently on the lips.

Tessa covered Derek's face with kisses before throwing her arms around him, Derek still wasn't sure to react to her iron grip as he looked up at the sonogram of his children before returning her embrace as she began to sob. With one more look at his children, Derek closed his eyes and let himself feel things that he hadn't felt in a long time.

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Tessa wouldn't let Derek leave her side forcing Sherriff Stilinski and Derek to share the small room until the Sherriff finally was forced to return to work later that night. She was sleeping soundly in her bed; Lydia came back and tended to Tessa's face and hair so that now Tessa had a low ponytail hanging over one shoulder and a clean fresh face. Her father took the liberty of bringing her purse, a few other personal belongings from home, and a progress report for Derek on the construction going on at the Hale House.

The roof would be finished at the end of next week, The kitchen and bathroom plumbing was completely finished and functional along with new countertops as well as sinks and showers, light fixtures and drywall had been completely finished on the bottom floors, the wood flooring had been completely re-finished, and tastefully neutral tile had been laid in the kitchens and bathrooms. The master bedroom was completely finished, and only needed to be decorated.

Derek wasn't letting Tessa out of his sight again and that meant one thing, he was going to need help he never thought he would be asking for…Derek picked up Tessa's phone and punched a number into his own, and after a few rings he spoke

"Leighton?" Derek began awkwardly _'The things I'm going to do for this woman'_ "This is Derek Hale"

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"Derek…" Tessa murmured as she came to

"I'm here" Derek said as he shut the door of the room.

"You left me," Tessa whispered "don't ever leave me again…"

"I had to make a phone call," Derek said as he came within view of her.

"You never make phone calls" Tessa said searching for him as she tried to shake herself out of the effect of the sedatives.

"Well I did this time…" Derek trailed off as he handed her some grape juice and told her to drink.

"I missed you," Tessa said as she finished drinking and took his hand.

Derek met her with a kiss she hadn't been given in a long time, a real 'Derek' kiss.

"….and you missed me too…"


	32. Chapter 30

A/N: On October 11, 2011 I was struck with the loss of my laptop. So after having taken care of my technological business here is Chapter 30!

Chapter 30

It had been 4 weeks since Tessa had finally come home to her family and (much to her disgust) placed on bed rest. However, she had her family, Derek, Leighton and windows. Life was finally going back to the kind of normal that Tessa had deserved when she returned to Beacon Hills. Derek was a fixture at the Stilinski house in the evenings when he brought her the foods she was craving for dinner, to sleep with her at night, and occasionally making 3 am trips to the 24 hour McDonalds drive-thru.

She was 10 weeks pregnant (or 14 weeks by human standards), her belly had officially debuted and had her in the new wardrobe of maternity pajamas and lounge wear that Leighton had picked up for her when he exchanged most of her original outfits.

Despite her bed rest and aching back her favorite thing about her pregnancy was Derek, in the past few weeks he had become what she called 'Derek Attentive' he was always giving her the food she wanted and asking how she was doing and even odd questions like 'do you like white walls or has your room always been this way?'. He still never spoke about the babies (no matter how many times she had asked, pleaded, cursed, and yelled at him), but sometimes late at night when Derek was letting her use him as a body pillow, she could swear she felt him running his hands up and down her belly, but she dared no hope. One night, she thought she heard him say _'__I__love__you,__Tessa__' _but she wasn't even sure if she was dreaming or not.

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'Leighton, look the one on the left was sucking its thumb!" Tessa breathed as she stared at the Sonogram in wonder.

'They've grown so much!" Leighton said as he squeezed her hand a little bit tighter.

'Will you be with her in the delivery room?' Dr. Iyer asked as she wiped off Tessa's belly.

'No that is Derek's job,' Leighton said with a laugh.

"My mate was so nervous in the room he almost lost control and shifted when they had to give me my C-Section. I was the one screaming 'Do it! Do it!' I even injected the anesthesia into myself before he could protest. Low and behold, the baby came out just fine...I have a doctorate and he still tried to argue...Alpha men...My big bad Eli was acting like a 2 year old getting his first shot sans the screaming and tears." Dr. Iyer said with a sigh before becoming professional again "Which was something else I wanted to Discuss with you , Tessa...The full moon is coming up"

"Ok, I know Derek isn't the best person to be around so far we have been careful. Is there something else I should know?" Tessa asked as she furrowed her brows.

"Tessa, Lycanthrope especially Alpha men take after wolves when they know their mate is with child a male is monogamous, faithful, loyal, attentive, and extremely protective when it comes to their mate and offspring. They are constantly guarding their mate and child, through out the entire birth and pregnancy and during the full moon these instincts are amplified by 1,000. Derek fits that bill to a fault and will attack anything that comes within a few yards of you that he doesn't want there. I know, I went into labor during the full moon, I thought I was going to have to birth my Alcina by myself" Dr. Iyer explained grimly.

"Well what should we do? How bad does it get?" Tessa asked as she adjusted her seat.

"During the full moon, instincts become so primal and strong that Derek will have a hard time controlling them and his tolerance of others around you will be gone and there will be no warning growls either, he _will_kill if it comes down to it. I recommend you lock your bed room door and no one is to enter your room or touch you without Derek's permission, Victorian sounding, I know but frankly it's not something to be taken it likely. These are basic primal instincts that are as old as time and you can do nothing more that adapt to the situation. Don't be surprised if it begins sometime around sun down"

"Ok, everything will be ok then, Derek will stay with me the whole time and not where he can hurt anyone?" Tessa said lacing her fingers with Leighton.

"Yes, Derek is fully aware you're a hardcore fag hag right?" Dr. Iyer said as she eyed their intertwined hand with apprehension.

"Oh yea, he knows I'm a 'flaming queen' he told me to turn the gas logs down while we were at the...never mind"

"You were hanging out, with _Derek,_this is the shit you don't tell me?" Tessa asked with surprise.

"It wasn't really hanging out...well eventually there was beer involved but that's beside the point! There is a surprise for you after we finish up here and I'm not going to be a snitch!" Leighton responded as Tessa turned to look at him with raised eyebrows.

"I'm taking you to it as soon as we finish up here!" Leighton said as he left so she could change back into her clothes.

"Seriously Leighton? I feel like I'm 6!" Tessa said as she adjusted the Burberry scarf that covered her eyes.

"Don't. You. Dare. Take that off ok!" Leighton said as Tessa felt black top turn to gravel.

"Leighton seriously how much longer do I have to wait?" Tessa whined.

"Would you quit being a little shit and stop bitching?" Leighton said in a good natured tone.

"I can't help it, I'm pregnant!" Tessa said as she heard the driver's side door open and shut only to feel the chill of the outside hit her face as the passenger side door of her Mercedes open.

"...And this...is why I'm happy to be gay..." Leighton said as he gently picked Tessa up bridal style as Derek had instructed and led her to their destination.

"That and 1,000 other reasons" Tessa grumbled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and heard one set of foot steps become two.

"Mr. Hale, your baby mama has arrived..." Leighton said cheerily as he handled his mate.

"I told you. To stop. Calling her that." Derek grumbled in irritation as he adjusted Tessa in his arms and felt her cling onto him like a spider monkey and nuzzle his neck.

"Will do, Mastah!" Leighton said as he mockingly tipped his fedora and said farewell to the pair before heading to his Jaguar.

"Were you my surprise?" Tessa asked softly as she dropped a kiss on his cheek.

"No, come on" Derek said as he carried her inside his house.

"Where are we?" Tessa asked as he made his way up the stairs.

"Home," Derek answered simply and turned on his heel in the familiar hallway.

"It doesn't smell like your house Derek? Did you move there is no way I'm letting you do that you love the house!" Tessa said as she felt her feet hit soft carpet.

"This is the house, Tessa" Derek said as he pulled her blindfold off.

"Oh my god, don't you even try to lie to me, Derek Hale!" Tessa said as she gave a gentle slap to his chest.

"This is why I didn't let you come to the house I fixed it so you could live here too" Derek said as he supported her now weak knees.

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The walls were a neutral beige with white crown molding Her Mahogany Vanity and a new matching wardrobe were on one side of the room next to what she supposed was their closet and a chest of drawers was on the other next to the alabaster master bathroom. She walked over to touch her vanity and noticed her jewelry boxes and silver frames sat on her vanity as if she were at home. The only signs of Derek she saw in the room was the Midnight blue bedding and sheers in the room.

"Derek...this is..." Tessa began as she touched their _larger_new mahogany four poster bed.

"If you don't like it we can change it, Leighton helped me pick, but he wanted to do pastels and I said 'hell no, not in my house'" Derek said as he watched their ceiling fan turn.

"You asked Leighton for help" Tessa asked in shock.

"He knows about shopping for drapes" Derek said with a shrug as he walked over to pick her up again and instructed her to close her eyes.

"There's more?" Tessa asked as Derek picked her up effortlessly and carrying her down the hall before her feet his carpet again.

"Open" Derek said as she stood in the doorway of the room that Derek found refuge in during the night.

The first thing she saw was Amberlee's music box and Eve's gifts sitting on a mahogany chest of drawers, the rest of the room was empty...or so she thought.

"This was Laura's room" Derek said as he turned her around "The one on the left was mine and the one on the right was hers, I found them in the attic" Derek finished as he watched her stare at two newly restored intricately designed French iron cribs complete with mattresses.

"You did all of this?" Tessa said as she touched Derek's old crib and felt the softness of the down mattress.

"Your dad helped with the building and Leighton did the bedroom...you get to do the rest while you have the free time" Derek said as he moved to stand beside her.

"I really wish I could have sex with you right now," Tessa said as she stared at what would be their children's nursery and wrapped her arms around his torso.

"Me too, little red riding hood, me too" Derek said as he placed a hand on her shoulder "Now that's enough standing for one night" Derek added as he picked her up again. 


	33. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Tessa knew she had to tread softly as she padded through the kitchen a, she was now 16 weeks (20 weeks Lycanthrope). Her babies were growing like weeds and she could feel them wiggling and wriggling around for space inside her ever growing womb. Tonight was the full moon, and it seemed that the bigger she got the more overbearing Derek became. He was attentive and warm (in his own way) but he was also possessive and these three days were the absolute worst.

Tessa had chosen furniture's and paints for the house, but she couldn't over see any of what she had chosen, Derek and Leighton were the ones that oversaw the bottom floor and god help anyone who tried to move anything upstairs without him present. She was still trying to wrap her head around Derek snapping at Scott for eyeballing her door. So far only four people were allowed up stairs and inside her room: her father, Stiles, Leighton, and Jackson. Tonight she was putting her foot down and getting out of bed, she was starting to go crazy and it felt good to finally be able to just hang out and walk around even if it was only long enough to stretch out her legs and get a glass of juice and finally see the rest of her house.

Leighton and Derek had surprised her with how well the house had been decorated even without her looking, she did her best to keep the downstairs as true to the original house as possible but she noticed that Derek had made many changes, which surprised her tremendously. He had a few new pieces mixed in with the ones he refused to get rid of and he actually caved in and bought a TV and let her paint the walls a light turquoise to match the color scheme of the furniture in the living room bluish grey in the kitchen. However, she could also tell Leighton had taken charge of a lot of the decorating although she couldn't put her finger on who put everything together.

She made her way to the living room and stood in the middle of it, she wasn't a big TV person but the large plasma screen was a sight for sore eyes. She looked at the overstuffed three-piece sectional sitting in front of it; she would _technically _be laying down, right? Tessa stood for only a moment longer before finally saying the hell with it and picking up a remote and push their Ottoman in front of the Television, but no sooner had she moved the ottoman in front of the TV did she hear Derek's feet hit the ground as he jumped down the stairs.

"What are you doing out of bed, woman?"

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The hunter watched her breath mix with the air as she surveyed the woods, tonight was the full moon and that meant easy pickings. Hunting had started in her family and it had been passed down from generation to generation. She had heard this preserve was crawling with wolves and she had an itchy trigger finger.

It had been six weeks since she had gotten a hot tip about a pack from Colorado, and it had leaded her here to Beacon Hills, the hometown of some family friends. She had been told the Alpha was going to take a human woman, and hopefully she wasn't too late. Human mated women received fates worse than death. They were typically raped and bitten only to be locked away and become glorified incubators and that alone was a fate worse than death. This woman needed to be saved.

She stopped and placed the strap of her crossbow over one shoulder as she looked over some claw marks that had been made in a nearby tree. They belonged to an Alpha and they were fresh and made on an angle that pointed west. As she moved forward she came upon a house, it was far away enough to be suspicious but they lacked some of the tell-tale signs. She did however notice a tire swing, a play set out back, and a garden, and it wouldn't hurt her to take a peak to see who exactly was sitting in a Lycanthrope hot bed…would it?

She looked in quietly to see a very pregnant woman in a purple bathrobe, pouring Orange juice into a blue plastic cup as she nibbled on some berries and padded through the house. She was alone, but she still moved like she was trying to hide from something…the wolves. Was she the one? Was she too late?

She soon found her answer.

_"What are you doing out of bed woman?"_

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Tessa grimaced as she looked up from her work.

"Are you trying to not sleep in my bed tonight, Derek Hale?" Tessa said as she looked up at him after rolling her eyes at the name Derek called her when he was frustrated with her.

"Oh no, I'll be there, and you will be too. You know you aren't supposed to be up walking around, Tessa now come back to bed." Derek snapped as he walked toward her.

"No, I'm not going back right now Derek, I'm staying down here and I'm going to watch a movie." Tessa said as she pulled away from him.

"Tessa you need to stay there, it's what's best for the babies" Derek said as he move toward her and capitalized on her shock and picking her up into his arms.

"What did you just say?" Tessa asked gently as squirmed lightly.

"I said it's what's best for the babies…what?" Derek said as he tightened his grip and shifted her in his arms.

"It's the first time you ever called them the babies," Tessa whispered gently.

"Well they're kind of hard to miss, Little Red Riding Hood" Derek said as he put a hand to her belly.

"Thanks, Asshole…you know I feel as big as a house." Tessa said as she squirmed harder.

"Hey, hey, I'm teasing…sue me I'm a little out of practice" Derek said as he tightened his grip and made his way upstairs.

"I'm not going back up there, Derek Hale, don't you dare!" Tessa said beating on his chest "I'd still be off of my feet, I don't understand why this is such a big deal I want to watch a damn movie!" Tessa fussed as she continued her assault.

With a deep sigh, Derek looked down at Tessa she was legitimately upset and he knew why. She had told him about her time in captivity, and Derek felt no better than Viktor by cooping her up in that room. Would it really be so bad for her to sit down?

"You. Are going to be the death of me woman…" Derek grunted as he moved towards the sectional.

"Thank you! I was seriously about to lose it." Tessa said as she nuzzled Derek's neck.

"Now you are going to think, I'm always going to have your way…great" Derek said with a smirk as he sat his mate down and found her a blanket.

"Wow Derek, if I ever get cocky you can just whack me over the head with your club and drag me by my hair back to the cave." Tessa said as she adjusted herself in her seat.

"No, I'm too lazy to get myself a club, they are incredibly hard to find" Derek responded as he watched his mate flinch.

"What's wrong?" Derek asked as he moved back toward her.

"There is a UFC fight going on in there!" Tessa said as she placed a hand to her belly. "Feel"

"Whoa." Derek said in surprise and wonder as he felt two little kicks under his palm, it was the first time he felt his children kick, and then everything went quiet.

"Derek, what's wrong Tessa asked but only to be stopped by Derek's changing.

"We have company," Derek whispered thanking his lucky stars that he smelled a human and not another werewolf, in the past few months he had gotten a chance to recognize the smell of everyone that would be around his mate and this was not one of them. This scent was new, and that could only mean one thing. Derek looked down at his made before turning and shutting their drapes and walking outside.

Someone was going to die tonight.


	34. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Derek looked around and cracked his neck as his eyes began to change and the Alpha started to rise to the surface, whoever had been here was still close by and he was trying to keep himself in check the best he could, Tessa was inside, and he had just replaced the window treatments. He was torn at what to do, the human part of him was saying get Tessa away from their as fast as he could and the other part was saying kill, and that voice would only start getting louder and louder.

"What do you want?" Derek asked to no one in particular.

"Derek Hale…" came a female voice from behind along with the cock of a crossbow.

"Jahi Lingelson, long time no see, Look I was going to get my wife some ice cream, can't you come back tomorrow?" Derek said as he pulled out his keys and walked toward his Camaro.

"Your wife? Don't you mean your mate?" The woman asked suspiciously.

"Mate, wife, it's all interchangeable" Derek said as he unlocked his car.

"Not much on protecting your family are you?" She asked snidely _Strike one. Mentioning his family._

"She's human, Jahi, and she hasn't done anything wrong. Whatever problems we had in the past leave her out of it." Derek said as he stood in front of his car and doing his best not to murder her, he had a wife to care for now.

"I suppose you're right Derek but she's pregnant too, Derek, and beautiful to boot." Jahi said keeping her eyes trained on Derek.

"She's also under Chris Argent's protection," Derek answered begrudgingly.

"Really, interesting, does he know she's pregnant with puppies?" Jahi asked smugly as she watched Derek's eyes flash "I didn't think so, she was the one, wasn't she?" _Strike Two. Calling his children puppies._

"The one what? The mother of my offspring, my mate, yes she is." Derek snapped back as he tried to keep his composure.

"I heard you had relocated after your family died, but a little birdie told me New York rather than Colorado. So let me guess you got homesick so you are setting up base camp here?" Jahi said as she raised her began to circle him.

"Ah so you heard about that little incident…Jahi, you always were the impulsive one but I never thought you be so blatantly stupid on top of it," Derek said as he remembered the two little kicks he felt under his palm and the Alpha that screamed in fury for the kill.

_"Blood…kill…babies…kill…blood…Mate…Children…blood…Tessa…kill"_

"Oh what, and I just didn't see you trying to force her back into that hell hole you made for her so you can infect her more than you already have? Fat chance, Derek." Jahi snapped as she raised her crossbow.

"Oh for god's sake…I'm her _true_ mate you dumb cunt! The Alpha from Colorado's name was Viktor he came here and took her away from me and when _he _tried to rape her the stress caused her to have a threatened miscarriage and she has been put on bed rest for the duration of her pregnancy. Not that it's any of your Goddamn business" Derek said in awe of this woman's stupidity as his eyes began to shift.

_Strike Three. Comparing him to Viktor._

Then before Derek could think about how he was going to rip Jahi's throat out, the one thing he had been fearing happened.

"Derek?" Tessa called as she opened the door "Is everything ok?"

"Go inside, Tessa!" Derek yelled as Jahi turned her attention to Derek's mate.

"Oh God!" Tessa said as she turned her attention to Jahi and clutched the phone she brought outside with her to her chest.

"Inside, Tessa, NOW!" Derek growled as his eyes began to change color.

"Leave." Tessa said ignoring Derek as she keeping her eyes trained on Jahi as she stood in front of her mate "You're on private property, leave before I start wagering with my mate about who is faster, you leaving or the Sherriff coming to arrest you. I'm watching a movie and frankly I've had enough disturbances for one night."

"Really, you'll call the police?" Jahi said with snide amusement.

"Of course, I will, not only are you on our private property when we don't want you here but you are also carrying a weapon that is commonly used for hunting and this isn't a free range preserve. I'm sure you also know that this isn't a gun season which means _that crossbow _is illegal to have in your possession, and what will you say when questioned about it? That you were hunting werewolves? Who would believe you? You are right smack in the middle of the preserve and it would take you atleast 30 minutes or more depending on which direction you head to get back to your vehicle so I can gurantee that the sheriffs deputies will be here in less time than that" Tessa said gently as she held her forearms, remembering the feeling of her own flesh burning. "Now, please leave. I don't want any trouble, and my husband is very testy right now since he is about to be a father"

"Of course not, no trouble I just wanted to catch up with an old friend. Her contact was right she was a special one. I will see you around Derek, let me know when the baby shower is" Jahi answered with an amused smile at Tessa's unusual tactic for dealing with a hunter. Jahi laughed as she walked away at the younger woman's nerve. She would be back, there was another day to have her fun.

Tessa let out a deep breath as she watched the woman leave only to have Derek pull her out of her thoughts.

"You. Are. In. So much trouble…and not the sexy kind either now get in the house!" Derek growled as he picked her up and took her inside.


	35. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

"What the hell were you thinking?" Derek roared as he sat her down on the couch, his touch far more gentle than his tone, not noticing his now pale wife rubbing her arms.

"Get away from my house you butcher…" Tessa answered softly as the part of her head that Kate bashed in began to throb.

"So you put yourself in harm's way, I would have taken care of her-you know that, she could have shot you just to kill the babies!" Derek raged, but Tessa still just sat cradling her belly with her eyes closed.

"You don't think if you did there wouldn't be someone who would come back for vengeance? You can't fight them all off Derek, I'm not losing anyone else to those animals." Tessa murmered, as the desperate screams ran through her head "I was trying to keep my family safe by doing things the human way, I thought maybe if I used that tactic it might be more effective."

"Yeah, effective enough for her to come back another day, Now I know Chris Argent is going to find out-what then? He'll kill-" Derek said back as the smell of his wives distress filled his nostrils and the human part of him filled to the grim with gult.

"You think I don't know that? You think I didn't know that from the moment I knew that I was pregnant? I know, Derek, I know those animals wouldn't hesitate to kill and innocent child!" Tessa snapped back in a cracked voice, looking up at him with glazed over eyes.

"Then why did you do it?" Derek asked in a hard tone.

"I didn't know what was out there, I don't have super-senses, for all I knew it could have been one of the boys! All I knew was that you sounded angry." Tessa replied, no longer looking in her mate's eyes.

"Fine, Tessa, fine. I'm going out for a run…" Derek said as he made a b-line for the door and slamming it behind him.

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"She said what?" Chris said looking amused.

"She threatened to call the police!" Jahi answered with a chuckle.

"That sounds like Tessa," Chris replied "It's a shame, the position Derek has put her in"

"It's a shame that eventually we are going to have to kill her, she seemed like a sweet woman," Jahi said wistfully remembering the younger woman as she nursed the beer Chris had supplied her.

"She is, only she would think to call the police." Chris said as he took a sip of his own beer "but you know the code, we don't kill children and we don't kill humans"

"Even when he bites her, and even if she is carrying Derek's dogs inside of her womb?" Jahi asked darkly, remembering the lovely woman's flannel wrapped belly.

"I will cross that bridge when I get there," Chris answered her with a stormy gaze of her own.

"What if she's already become the victim of beastiality?" Jahi asked harshly at the thought "It's not that hard to help her abort"

"What are you saying, Jahi?" Chris said as he neared disbelief.

"I'm saying she has little animals growing inside her, Derek Hale's little dogs" Jahi replied with a smirk at Chris's changing gaze.

"We don't kill children, and we don't kill humans" Chris answered trying to maintain resolve trying to wrap his head around Tessa's pregnancy.

"Who said those little monsters were children?" Jahi asked

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Derek ran swiftly as he surveyed the perimeter, Tessa was right when she explained her actions and he knew it. However, it didn't change the fact that Jahi could have killed her, would have killed her, but that wasn't her fault. She didn't know, she didn't know.

"Dammit!" Derek thought as he went to investigate the moment he heard as he shifted into the full wolf.

It was only a buck, a midnight snack wouldn't kill him would it?


	36. Chapter 34

A/N: Thank you to SandraDee27 for the inspiration..

Chapter 34

The sound of Adam Sandler singing almost felt like background noise as she felt the warm tears slide down her cheek. She was getting sick and tired of always having to translate what he said to her from "the language of Derek" to English, and right now was the worst possible moment. She had been impregnated, kidnapped, attacked, nearly raped, being chased down by hunters, and now finally…left alone in a house by herself by a mate that was supposed to be there for her…he was supposed to love her…right?

_"Tessa, when I became the Alpha…A mate was chosen for me. You were chosen for me._

The words Derek spoke suddenly began to run through her head, and suddenly she truly began to think about what he had said to her.

"_all I'm going to say is this. You're mine now."_

_"Then don't do something so stupid. It's my job to take care of you now."_

"_You may be a burden but I never said I minded…You're__my__burden"_

_"I'm the one who is supposed to take care of you, and I had to find out from those two-and Jackson. You're my mate."_

She even remembered the words he grunted when they were in bed…

"_Tessa, say my name…say you belong to me…" _

"_No one is ever going to take you from me…" _

For the first time since she had become mated to him, she questioned what was happening. The mating wasn't about love, it was about possession, everything he had been to her was instinct: Loyal, Monogamous, protective, and possessive…just as her Doctor said. Everything she believed…the sobs came to her before she could do anything else, the sobs hit her like a Tsunami…She had fallen so madly in love with him and she never stopped to think about anything else…Oh God what had she done?

Soon, her cries ended and she let sleep take over.

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"_You don't deserve her and you never will" _

As much as Derek hated to admit those words often flew through his head, he remembered Viktor's words to him. Biologically he shouldn't care though whether he deserved her she was his, he had done the research about mated Alphas.

Once a Alpha mated a female, no one else other than his pack mattered and she was to be protected at all costs. The Alpha's female became territory sexually and in terms of aqusitions, but she became his partner as well. However, in his case it was more than that, she was everything he wasn't, patient, sweet natured and gentle, loving, outgoing, brave, soft…maybe Viktor was right maybe this was some big cosmic joke here he was mated to a human woman that thought quickly and stopped a hunter cold without even raising her voice even though he could smell her anger and fear.

"Goddamit!" Derek cursed as he kicking a tree down as his house came into view, his home.

_Home, _he had a home, it was such a strange feeling that he couldn't describe…what was he supposed to say _'honey, kids, daddy's home'_ Derek thought to himself as he unlocked and entered his house with a look of disdain at the cliché. The first thing that caught his eye was the television.

"_What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I've ever heard, and no point in you're rambling incoherent response was there anything that could be considered a rational thought, everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it, I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul"_

"No shit, Asshole" Derek grumbled at the T.V. as he turned his attention to his wife…wife…hm…his _wife._

Somewhere during his 'run' Tessa had fallen asleep, and now she lay in a ball with her hands resting on her belly. He could hear the babies resting inside their mother, but as Derek placed a hand to his mate's belly he felt the child on the lefts heartbeat increase as the child kicked the bottom of his palm hard. It looked like Tessa wasn't the only one upset with him.

"Don't take that tone with me…" Derek whispered as he picked his wife up, she wasn't cuddling…she always cuddled.

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"They've grown so much," Tessa commented as he watched the twins move.

"Well Tessa, you have two very healthy babies, and you have a fairly stress free environment and all the work on the house is finished?" Dr. Ayer asked as she wiped the gel from Tessa's belly and pulled down Tessa's tight black maternity top down for her.

"Yes, fairly so, I haven't been able to see the Nursery, the guest room, neither of the bathrooms, or my office yet but everything else is done. The only thing causing me stress right now is being on bed rest, and Derek is being unbearable when I even try to do it. Don't get me wrong, Derek's arms are well…Derek's arms, but I can only go so long without walking. You said that the children are healthy and I've made it this long with no trouble. Do I really need to stay on bed rest?" Tessa asked gently.

"Well from everything you've told me, certainly, here I will right you a clearance just in case Derek tries to argue, and as a mated woman I can tell you he will" Dr. Ayer answered as she turned around to grab a pad and paper.

"How long have you and your mate been together?" Tessa asked softly.

"We found each other when I was 16 so, about 7 years now. Our daughter is 3" Dr. Ayer said as she wrote her note.

"Do you two love each other?" Tessa asked as she took her purse and nodded at Leighton who was signaling that he would go wait for her in the car.

"I love him very much and he loves me, The mating dreams were what brought us together but as we got to know each other I think that even without it we would have fallen in love. Granted that isn't exactly the same for all pairs" Dr. Ayer said gently as she handed Tessa her note.

"How so?" Tessa asked as she closed her legs and sat up on the table she was laying on and held her jacket to her chest.

"Well, and this has only been recorded in very _very _few pairs that the woman is seen as an instinct only or an arranged marriage, they have sex with their mate and birth children, but they are only to be theirs…almost like a child with a favorite toy." Dr. Ayer said with immediate regret as she felt Tessa's heart drop "However, that has only been recorded once or twice and that was a rarity once every 500 years or so. Why do you feel similarly?"

"Well, perhaps it is the bed rest…We got into a fight the other evening…and…it made me remember a lot of what he said to me, and maybe it was the moment, the hormones , or the bed rest but it just felt like so much of what he said was out of the biological instincts rather than actual effection" Tessa explained as Dr. Ayer helped her into a soft Cardigan.

"Well Tessa, I can say from personal experience that what you're feeling is perfectly normal, but what's important is building a relationship the same as you would a normal couple. I do think that these little ones threw a wrench into things, but at the end of the day every relationship is different and so that is something you and Derek are going to have to work out on your own" Dr. Ayer said as she walked Tessa to the door.

"Thank you Dr, I know I said I wanted to be surprised, but what is the gender?" Tessa asked as she opened the office door.

"Ahh…I knew you'd break eventually…the one on the left is a boy…the one on the right is a girl. You get the best of both worlds" Dr. Ayer said with a smile as she handed Tessa her ultrasound pictures and Doctor's note.

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Tessa walked through the parking deck with a soft sweet smile as she made her way to the car where Leighton was waiting for her. She was excited about her little ones, and the fact that she could walk, god the spring air felt good, rain was coming soon…

"Hello, Tessa…" came a voice that she was all too familiar with.

"Chris…" Tessa responded gently, without her normal sweetness.

"I hear you're expecting" Chris said as he walked closer to her.

"Who told you that?" Tessa asked softly, but confidently.

"I did, sorry I'm bad at keeping secrets, and you have to admit this pretty _big_ news" Jahi said walking out from behind and eyeing Tessa's womb.

"Hush, Jahi…" Chris said sharply as he kept his eyes on Tessa.

"Leave me alone," Tessa said as the scars as her temple began throb while she turned away from the two.

"Tessa, I can't protect you if you don't let me" Chris said as he grabbed her forearm.

"Protect me from what, Chris?" Tessa said as she stiffened and felt her composure dying inside of her as the darkness she had locked away deep inside her soul came to surface the throbbing at her temple meshed with the kicking of her children "From Derek? From the wherewolves? How sweet! Did you know I used to work for the Hale's long before I met Derek, even under the full moon..."

Chris made no reaction, no he didn't…

"So, you talk about what horrible animals they are…well tell me…do you see anything on me? Any cuts, any claw marks, Any scars? Is my throat gone? What I do have is this!" Tessa said as she began to pull her cardigan back and dropping her purse on the tail of a car, her eyes glazing over as she smelled her flesh burning all over again before presenting the parts of her arms where the she still had scars. "Even the best surgeons that Fidel Castro himself could buy couldn't even take them away!" Tessa said her voice beginning to rise, as she watched Chris's expression change into something she had no desire to analyze at the moment "You didn't know that I was there, the papers didn't mention me…I was there the day of the fire, I was supposed to look after the children, I loved them, all of them, and they loved me…I showed up and I saw the smoke and I ran to get them out, I found a window and I could see inside flames taking over, I could smell flesh burning…I was a nanny to this one little girl named Amberlee she was 2 and I had been with her since she was a baby…The first person I saw was her mother, do you want to know what she said to me?

She said 'Tessa, Take the children…' I pleaded with her and told her that I could bust out more windows so that I could go in, and I would have, no matter how hot the flames had become…and she said 'Don't worry about me just take the children' and then she handed me Amberlee, and I took her off to the side and went back for another, a newborn name Sophie…I was so close but before I could take her that part of the house exploded. Then I thought, if I could just get Amberlee out…then this happenened" Tessa said harshly as she pulled the hair at her temple back with a shaking hand to reveal a deep moon shaped scar on her head.

"One of the hunters knocked me out cold…in fact I almost died…2 weeks later I woke up in a hospital, and when I asked one of the police officers if they found a little girl fitting Amberlee's description…do you want to what they told me after they checked the reports, the only little girl they found matching that description was found in the flames…they tossed her back in...YOUR SISTER THREW HER BACK IN!" Tessa screamed.

"The Hale's weren't lashing out or acting like rabid dogs, they were trying to save their children! For years, I swore to myself that I would forgive every last one of you so that I could move on, so that I could stand in front of you now and not say that they aren't the animals…you are…but look at what they did to me…" Tessa spat as she extended her scars towards him. "LOOK AT WHAT SHE DID TO ME! So please tell me what you are going to protect me from?" Tessa finished before picking up her things, turning, and walking away from him.

"Now would you like to try it my way?" Jahi asked with an eye roll.


	37. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

"Honey, are you ok?" Leighton said as a shaking Tessa entered the Jaguar.

"I just ran into Chris Argent, he was…congratulating me on my pregnancy." Tessa responded with a humorless smile as she ran her hands up and down her arms.

"Oh my god! Are you ok? I'm calling De.." but before Leighton could answer he was cut off.

"Don't you _dare _call him!" Tessa snapped in a tone Leighton hadn't heard before.

"First of all, take the bass out of your voice, secondly, I won't tell Derek, but you _are_ telling me what is going on!" Leighton answered matching Tessa

"We are going to the mall, we are eating and talking then we are walking around, then we are shopping" Tessa said as she pulled one of Leighton's fedoras out of the back and placed it on her own head.

"You do know Derek is gonna flip right?" Leighton said as he pulled the car out of the parking deck with a smirk.

"I don't give a fuck right now, I'm walking and breathing, as of now I'm not a mated woman for atleast the next 24 hours…I'm Tessa _fucking_ Stilinski...I'm shopping for my babies and my post pregnancy body, and damn anyone who tries to stop me…especially Derek Hale!" Tessa spat.

"Wow, we just broke the fuck barrier twice…you must be hurting pretty bad" Leighton said feeling for his old friend.

"I'm not talking about it until I'm at a table destroying atleast 1 Big Mac" Tessa said as she grabbed the burgundy cotton moto-style jacket that she brought with her out of the back seat.

"Yep…" Leighton said as he switched gears and sent them on their way.

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"_Hi you've reached the Voicemail of Tessa Stilinski, I'm currently unavailable, but if you leave your name, number, and a short message I will return your call at my earliest convenience, Thanks," _

Tessa wasn't answering her phone, and she wasn't at home in bed where she needed to be, and Dr. Ayer's office said that she had finished her appointment 6 hours ago. Where was she, what if someone had gotten to her…not again, but before he could shift a text message came from…Tessa.

_From: Tessa_

_Sorry I haven't called. I'm clear to walk so I'm going out with Leighton, dinner and a movie. Don't wait up. _

_-T_

"Woman…" Derek growled with red eyes.

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_"__The worst thing is that he made me move out here where my children are in school with only one other black kid so they won't be improperly influenced. Well, guess what John, YOU'RE the motherfuckin' improper influence! Get your shit! Get your shit! And, get out!__"_

"Now that's what I call closure…" Tessa said folding clothes as the famous scene from 'Waiting to Exhale' played out on the screen in Leighton's new apartment.

"Did you atleast contact Derek?" Leighton asked with concern as he put a sweater with a Penguin on the front into the 'boy pile'

"Yes, I sent him a text message two hours ago" Tessa answered as she placed an Elephant covered pink gown in the 'girl pile' before going back to her Whopper.

"Ok, but what about that Jahi girl? Did she seriously make a ref. to your belly?" Leighton asked.

"Yep, bitch…" Tessa trailed off before popping another piece of dark chocolate in her mouth.

"You are going to make yourself sick, you know that?" Leighton said as he tried to take the box of Godiva chocolates from her.

"Yea well, Tequila isn't exactly an option right now is it?" Tessa asked as she snatched the box away from Leighton just in time for Leighton to hear his phone ring.

"I'll be right back" Leighton said as he waggled his eyebrows and made his way to balcony in his bedroom much to Tessa's delight.

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"Where is she?" Derek said as Leighton answered the phone.

"She's in my apartment watching 'Waiting to Exhale and folding your children's clothing" Leighton said in a 'don't talk to me like that white boy tone'.

"She's suppose…" Derek said but he didn't get a chance to finish.

"She's supposed to be on bedrest? The doctor cleared her to walk this morning, and I don't think she wants to see you right now" Leighton answered with an inward eye roll.

"She's my mate, Leighton" Derek answered in a tone that bordered on arrogant.

"Yea, and she said she doesn't want to see you right now. I think she's alittle upset, but I will tell you she is spending the night at my place tonight, and I will have her home tomorrow. I personally think you should take this time to reflect on your relationship with her because you have some serious soul searching to do." Leighton stated with sigh "Derek you aren't stupid, Tessa isn't a hard person to read, and I know you watch every move she makes, you know what I'm talking about and if you don't right now, take the next 24 hours to figure it out" Leighton finished before hanging up the phone.

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"I'm telling you, a little saline will do the job! We don't have to kill her, I mean I like the girl a lot she is fucking adorable, she doesn't need his bullshit and this is the best solution I can think of!" Jahi said as she worked on some arrows.

"For the last time, you touch her, I maim you, Jahi." Chris answered.

"You can't just sit there and leave her alone because you have some guilt complex over Kate doing what she had to do." Jahi responded harshly.

"We have a code that we work by, and unfortunately for you she falls under the 'do not kill list'" Chris answered matching Jahi.

"Not yet, Chris, we can protect her! She needs us and you know it!" Jahi pleaded.

"Jahi, you are clear to hunt, but if I find any word that you come close to breaking the code on my time, I hunt you…end of story." Chris finished calmly.

"That was all I needed." Jahi said with a smirk as she exited the Argent house.

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Derek stood in the nursery on a ladder with a paintbrush and 'Midnight 284' covered clothes when his phone rang…Tessa?

"Hello" Derek asked gently.

"Congratulations on the new additions to the family" Chris said with sarcasm in his tone.

"Stay away from my children, I know we are at a stalemate, but if Jahi comes near Tessa and my children, there is going to be blood!" Derek growled as his eyes began to change.

"That's what I called you about, she's hunting and she doesn't play by the code" Chris responded in a business tone.

"Tessa really is a gem, and a smart one too. She gave me an idea, I called in a favor from an old friend, some papers requesting a restraining order against her for Tessa ended up at the courthouse. There was also and anonymous call was made about some illegal weapons in the trunk of her car. That will stall you long enough to take care of things…oh by the way this won't hold for long so watch your back. I'll be in touch." Chris finished tersely.

"I look forward to it," Derek said before promptly hitting the end button.

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Tessa felt freer than she had in a long time as she sat on Leighton's balcony with a virgin daiquiri, the frothy drink was apparently a hit with the babies because they were squirming more than usual. Leighton sat with the baby name book they had just bought earlier that day and a neon pink highlighter in the other. Leighton had been so involved you would think that he was the babies father.

Wasn't helping with this Derek's job? No, Derek's contribution was making a home for the three of them, holding her hair back when she was sick, and going out at 3 am to get the foods she wanted. What did a stupid name matter? She would pick one and he would give his honest opinion, the way he always did, he was always truthful even when it hurt…and the babies' cribs…they were special, and he didn't have to give her something so personal, but he did none the less. Oh god, he was so back and forth and she was too tired to analyze it all. That was the problem, he was too back and forth to analyze. Finally, Leighton took her out of her thoughts.

"Ok, so I've come to a top 5 in particular order: 5) Leighton, for obvious reasons 4) Holden 3) Grady 2) David 1) Lachlan…thoughts?" Leighton asked before taking a sip of his "slutty daiquiri".

"I like Holden, Derek Holden, but he can go by Holden…My grandfather did that with my father and all of his brothers…why not carry on the tradition, that and I'm not a fan of suffixes." Tessa said almost dreamily.

"I like it! Derek Holden it is! Now we have to name the girl!" Leighton said taking another sip of his drink.

"How about Leighton?" Tessa said with a giggle.

"Well that's a possibility…" Leighton said giving her the finger before turning his attention back to the book.

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Derek stared up at the ceiling as the sun poured through his windows, before turning his attention to the other side of the bed, she actually had a side of the bed, and for once he wasn't thinking about how hot it made him when she slept naked to keep cool. He was thinking about talking to her around this time before she finally rose to get breakfast.

He would just take in her scent and listen to her, and she listened to him. The first time she spent the night in his bed, he probably talked more that he had in the last month…she would lay in the crook of his arm and prop her head up on her chest. Derek chuckled as he thought of nights he would make love to her, just for the 'naked conversations'…when did the dirty fucks he gave Tessa count as making love to her?

_"When you put something into it, and by putting something into it you don't mean your dick you dumb fuck"_Derek thought to himself as he got out of bed and put his pants on.

Derek wanted his wife…hm…wife…since when did she become his wife…because being a wife seemed to go deeper than the mating bond. Being a mate was primal, but being a wife meant being a best friend as well as a lover. Wife…was the last thought he had before he picked up his jeans and began to get dressed for the day.


	38. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Derek parked in downtown Beacon Hills as he had the most uncomfortable phone call of his life.

"Yes, I just wanted to make sure it was ok with you before I did anything. Thank you for agreeing." Derek stated as he looked to see Jahi sitting in an SUV across the street. "Thank you, yes I'll let you know. Bye." Derek finished before waving at a thoroughly unhappy looking Jahi. He couldn't help but smirk and wave.

Wasn't so tough now that Tessa's father had seen to it that all of the illegal weapons she was carrying were taken from her, was she?

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Derek couldn't believe he was standing in DeMarco Bank &Trust, a local bank owned by a family friend, it was the first time stepping through the gold and glass doors since he and Laura were looking over the paperwork after his family died.

"Can I help you sir?" A young blonde asked him from behind the desk as she gave him a flirty smile.

"Yes, I came to retrieve something from my safe deposit box" Derek said stoically as inwardly shook his head at the young girl. _Kids today…_

"Derek! Nice to see you again, you look more and more like your father everyday!" Geoffrey DeMarco the owner of the bank said as he approached Derek and shook his hand.

"Yes, I came to get something from the family safe deposit box," Derek said in a slightly more easygoing tone as he looked down at the ruby wolf at the man's pinky.

"Ah, so you're the Alpha now? I'm sorry to hear about Laura" DeMarco stated in genuine sadness "If I had still been in town…"

"We can't change the past DeMarco, if I could I would have, the funny thing is I think if I did change time I still would have found my mate…" Derek said wistfully.

"You're mate?" DeMarco said with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, you know what I'm here for then?" Derek trailed off.

"Absolutely Derek, right this way" DeMarco said as he took on a tone of business mixed with reverence.

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Tessa woke up to Gloria Gaynor and the smell of Cuban coffee, felt her tummy rumble as she shifted Leighton's t-shirt, put her hair back into a high ponytail, and went to investigate what the breakfast situation when she heard the music go down and sausage frying. However, she found a surprise waiting for her in the kitchen.

"Derek? What are you doing here?" Tessa said as she walked over to the bar separating the kitchen from the living room.

"I came to pick you up and take you home…," Derek replied calmly as he took a sip of his coffee and accepted a sausage biscuit from Leighton.

"And have breakfast…" Leighton added as he flipped another sizzling sausage patty.

"…and have breakfast" Derek said as he raised his biscuit and took a bite.

"You knew he was coming, didn't you?" Tessa said disgusted shock.

"No, I actually didn't, but I figured since he was here why not be hospitable? Now take a seat by your man and we can have a nice breakfast" Leighton said with a touch of laughter in his voice.

"The hell with hospitable, I'm not going home with you and I'm not going back to bed rest, the doctor said I didn't have to!" Tessa spat in annoyance, if she was going home it was going to be on her own time and not because he tracked her down.

"I know," Derek said as he washed down a bite of biscuit with some coffee "Have you tried these? They're delicious…"

"Thank you," Leighton said as he placed some biscuits on a plate.

Derek was acting calm, too calm, almost normal, and it was freaking her fuck out.

"No problem…" Derek grunted back to the other man.

"You know?" Tessa said as she accepted a plate from Leighton.

"Yea, Leighton filled me in last night, and I left you be. Now, I came to get you." Derek said as he took another sip of coffee and reached for another sausage biscuit.

"…and I told _you _that I'm not going!" Tessa said feeling hormone overload coming on.

"Ok," Derek said with a hard swallow and a deep breath as he tried to fight back his animal instinct and salvage a long buried patience "Well, I'm asking you to come home,"

"Why? Because we are mates?" Tessa asked tensely.

"Well, yes that's partially why" Derek answered honestly.

"I'm not your mate, Derek" Tessa said softly as she crossed her arms over her belly.

"Oh she had to go there…" Leighton trailed off under his breath.

"W-Tessa, yes you are. Your mi-"Derek began but he didn't get far.

"No I'm not! I'm not your job, I'm not your burden, and I'm not your mate! Do you know what I've gone through to be with you? For what, all I am to you is a biological match…You fuck me and keep me in a golden cage, I'm done being your job" Tessa snapped as she laid both her hands on her belly "WE are done being your job, Derek Hale!"

Tessa soon regretted her words when she saw his eyes change and the temperature in the room drop a few degrees.

"Fine then, I don't want you as my mate, anyhow!" Derek roared "I want you as my wife!"

These words stopped Tessa cold.

"I'm sorry, what?" Tessa asked gently.

Derek took a deep breath and tried to find a somewhat gentle tone as his eyes changed back to normal color.

"I said…" Derek trailed off with a sigh before reaching into his coat pocket "…I said, I want you to be my wife."

Tessa stood in shock as she looked down at the small silver box he was holding before meeting his gaze.

"Tessa, will you be my wife?" Derek asked as he handed opened the box and handed it to her.

Tessa looked down to find antique diamond ring, a round cut diamond sitting in an intricately designed diamond encrusted white gold setting, and it was perfect. Tessa looked up at Derek with a look of utter shock as she felt the babies kick inside of her. Tessa looked back down at the ring.

"Holy shit." Tessa breathed softly before looking back up at Derek.

"I'm not telling you that you are my mate, I'm _asking_ you to be my wife." Derek said awkwardly.

"Holy shit." Tessa said looking back at him before nodding her head "Yes,"

"Now's the part where you put the ring on her," Leighton mock whispered.

"Fuck you, Leighton" Derek grunted before reaching for the box.

"Just saying…" Leighton said with a good natured smirk.

"Here…" Derek said as he placed the ring on Tessa's finger "I know it's a bit much, it was my mother's…"

"No, it's perfect…" Tessa breathed as she watched Derek hands place her engagement ring in the perfect spot.

"See," Derek said motioning to Tessa's hand before giving Leighton the middle finger.

"Oh Derek, honey, I'm flattered but what would your fiancée think?" Leighton said before waving the two back over "Now get your narrow white ass over here and finish your breakfast, I didn't cook all this shit for you to lose your appetite now.


	39. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

"Ok so what do you think of Cecile?" Leighton asked as he sat in the freshly decorated baby/bridal shower venue.

"I think that sounds pretty…I like Eve…" Tessa murmured as she held a bridal magazine "I'm so glad we are postponing the wedding until I have the babies because looking at these pictures is just effing depressing."

"Eve sounds perfect. Oh, and don't worry, I'm going to give you the ass whooping of a lifetime. Speaking of which, where is the baby daddy in question?" Leighton asked as he began searching for a suitable middle name.

"He's at home working on some big project for the babies, he hasn't made mention of it, but hasn't come out of the nursery except to eat in days. If I try to go in there, I get the 3rd, 4th, and 5th degree." Tessa said as she flipped through another page.

"Hm, and this doesn't bother you?" Leighton asked as he went over the extremely small guest list one more time.

"Are you kidding? You know I'm not materialistic but the last time he got secretive about something he was doing I ended up with a house." Tess said with a small but excited smile.

"You don't sound materialistic, just spoiled, bitch. P.S. The babies' middle name is Elizabeth and that's final." Leighton said as he checked the food one more time.

"Eve Elizabeth Hale and Derek Holden Hale, perfect!" Tessa said as she marked her page in the bridal magazine she was reading as the door of the private room they had rented at the Italian place that they went Tessa's first night home.

"Lydia and Allison, right?" Leighton asked as he rose to greet the girls as Tessa used the table to prop herself up.

"Hi, girls" Tessa said as she waddled toward them while she straightened her white Maxi Dress.

"Wow, you look…" Allison trailed off.

"Really, Really pregnant?" Tessa finished as she ushered the girls towards her seat after Leighton directed them to where they could put their presents.

"How far along are you?" Lydia said avoiding the sensitive subject of a pregnant woman's weight.

"I'm 35 weeks so any time now," Tessa said with a touch of nervousness before getting up to greet Dr. Ayer and a few of her students and mothers.

After a meal of pizza and pasta as well as several bridal and baby games, the women sat around eating Tiramisu while Tessa opened her gifts. However, they're getting together soon had one more guest.

"Room for one more?" Came a voice from the glass entrance of their private room.

"Oh he-" but before Leighton could answer Tessa beat him to the punch.

"Certainly, Jahi. If you're hungry, there is pizza over there and some Tiramisu if you would like some dessert" Tessa said with a gentle smile so that her guests didn't get suspicious. "Why don't you take a seat by Allison?"

"Everyone, this is my friend Jahi, Jahi this is…well everyone" Tessa said politely.

"Hello, Everyone" Jahi said with a "good natured" smile as she fixed herself a plate and poured herself a drink.

"Please take a seat so that, Tessa can open her gifts" Leighton said stiffly.

"Of course" Jahi said as Tessa picked up her next gift.

"Ok, this one is from…Kaila and her mom" Tessa said gently so Leighton could write the names down for her as they both watched Jahi out of their peripherals before finding the frying pan set she wanted.

"We thought you might need these in case you need to keep Derek in line" Kaila's mother said with a laugh.

"Ah, the perfect gift, this is going to come in handy" Tessa said with a laugh as she pretended to test the weight balance on one of the pans as she tried to ignore Jahi's snort.

"This is from me!" Madison said as she popped up from her mother's lap and picked up a bright pink bag.

"Oh, thank you, Madison" Tessa said as she signaled to Madison's mother that the small outburst was fine before pushing away pink tissue paper to reveal two tiny masterpieces of wood, beads, and feathers.

"It keeps the monsters away." Madison said as she began to point out that the blue one was for Holden and the pink one was for Eve, but Tessa was too busy focusing on Jahi while she blatantly was stifling a laugh at what she considered to be irony before kissing the little girls hair and sending her back to her mother.

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Tessa was floored by Jahi; she had the audacity to help clean up after the shower.

"You have some nerve, you know that?" Leighton said as he grabbed a trash bag out of her hands "Leave".

"No need to get in a sour mood," Jahi said as she put her hands up and took a step back "I was just coming here to help you both celebrate…it's not everyday you hear about a wolf actually doing things the human way…congrats"

"Horseshit, you got to celebrate now go and take that raggedy ass and even if it was real _last season_ Valentino knock off with you" Leighton answered pointing towards Jahi's blazer.

"Tessa, your friend is so hostile!" Jahi said as she watched Tessa finish bagging her gifts.

"What do you want, Jahi? Did you come here to torture me, to scare me? It's not going to work. Not here in front of a ceiling to floor glass window with a policeman standing outside these doors." Tessa answered as she took steps toward Jahi. "The court didn't inform you the restraining order; I have against you right, or do you just not care?"

"I may have misplaced the notification…" Jahi trailed off as she took a step towards Tessa.

"Jahi, I'm not a violent person, that's my fiancée's department, and frankly I'm not going to hate you for someone else's sins. I will, however, protect my family and so help me I will see you locked away if you try but if that doesn't work I made a lot of friends in Cuba, friends that are very protective of me. So move along and leave me alone…" Tessa said as she picked up her presents walked by Jahi with Leighton in tow and her father and two other newly arriving deputies entered to deal with Jahi.

"Did you seriously just bring El Presidente Castro y Senor Fidel into that did you?" Leighton asked with a smile as they made their way to her car.

"Not necessarily, I would be bringing my darling papa's into it if I called them" Tessa said as she put her bags in the car and turned just in time to see Jahi being walked out by her father in cuffs.

However, before Tessa could gloat Jahi beat her to the punch.

"Hey, Tessa ask Derek about all the fun he used to have with me and Kate. Oh by the way when Chris gets me out on bond you'll have to tell me if Derek still has that scar right above his dick, or if he still does that really sexy thing with his tongue?" Jahi said as Sheriff Stilinski pushed her towards the car after noticing his daughter's visible distress.

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Derek looked at the picture he had printed before looking back up at the ceiling. All the other walls had been painted except this last piece on the ceiling, Derek was never an artist, but this was going to have to do. Laura could have done it, she was always good at this sort of thing, it was one of the times when he wished she was here to tell him what to do…or at least make fun of how he was doing it. Never the less, all these days of planning and this had turned out better than he ever guessed it would have, but no sooner had Derek made a grunt of satisfaction as he picked up the phone to call Leighton about drapes he heard the front door slam.

"DEREK HALE, YOU GET YOUR PASTY WHITE WEREWOLF ASS DOWN HERE BEFORE I COME UPSTAIRS AND DRAG YOU DOWN BY YOUR TAIL!" came a raspy female voice from downstairs.

"What the hell, Tessa? Do I talk to you like that? Hell no! So get the bass out of your voice with me!" Derek responded in a calm voice, more in shock that his sweet natured fiancée had just said what she did.

"I want answers Derek and I want them now…I want to know about Jahi and Kate, Derek" Tessa rasped with a look of hurt mixed with sheer rage in her eyes.

"Oh God…" Derek said as he pinched the bridge of his nose he couldn't lie to Tessa she was a human lie detector "What did she tell you?"

"About the scar above your dick from that time when you shifted while you were jerking off, and that thing that you do with your tongue where you…never mind that…Tell me, and don't you _dare_ even try to lie to me" Tessa gritted out.

"Tessa…" Derek said with a sigh, this was the one thing he hoped he would never have to tell her.


	40. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

"_This was before we met…This was before we met…This was before we met" _were the

words that Tessa kept telling herself as Derek sat down at their table and told her the honest truth about himself, Kate Argent, and Jahi.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me this. I can't believe you had sex with her, a threesome…for God's sake..." Tessa whispered as she sat across from Derek at their kitchen table.

"Well it's not something I am proud of, Tessa" Derek said as he looked out of their kitchen window and into the darkness, grimacing at the smell of his future wife's pain mixed with a new scent he hadn't taken in before.

"She wants to kill our babies and you had sex with her…" Tessa murmured as she felt a small a new pressure rip through her.

"You think I don't know that Tessa?" Derek said as he clenched his fists in frustration, but her scent reminded him that she had gone through everything he had, and that she had lost just as much over the years…Tessa understood him.

"I-I just wish you would have told me, when you told me…about everything else…" Tessa murmured as the pressure on her womb struck her again causing her to hiss in pain "I t-trust you Derek…I-I love you, Derek"

"Tessa?" Derek said as the identity of the new smell hit him…

"It's time…" Tessa and Derek said in unison.

"C-call Dr. Ayer…She is supposed to come here…Leighton…my dad" Tessa grounded out as Derek helped her rise out of her chair.

"I've got it," Derek answered as he picked his wife before stopping in his tracks…shit.

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Chris Argent had been sitting at the dinner table with his family when he got the call from a contact 10 miles away…

"Are you sure?" Chris asked as he tried to remain out of ear shot of Allison and his wife, letting out a deep sigh, a mix of emotions washing over him as the reality of the situation finally set in. How had things gotten so complicated?

However, the mixed emotions that Chris felt were soon forgotten as rage overcame him.

"Thank you for letting me know. I will take care of it." Chris ansewered curtly before hanging up his phone and walking back into his dining room.

"I have to go take care of some business." Chris said gruffly and exiting before either lady could say anything.

It didn't take long for either of the Argent women to know what he meant by "business", they both knew that cold glint in his eyes. The last thing Allison heard was the cocking of a gun and the slam of their front door.

…Shit.

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Dr. Ayer stood with her husband, daughter, and mother-in-law at the exit of the hospital her day was finally over, but her phone soon pulled her out of her thoughts. Dr. Ayer knew in the first ring who it was almost immediately and let out a deep breath before giving her husband a look that he had seen too many times.

"Duty calls…" She murmured as she handed their child to her husband.

"Go, call me if you need me" He responded before giving his wife a gentle kiss and taking their daughter before the two went their separate ways.

"Shit" they grumbled after looking back at each other one more time.

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_"D-Derek…" _

His name was the last thing he heard before the gun shots. He had gotten her to the bottom of the stairs before he heard the bullet penetrate his locks and the creak of his door giving way.

"I was hoping I wouldn't miss the party…This ought to make my job less messy." Jahi said as she sauntered inside the house, watching Derek's eyes change as he stood in front of Tessa who was now sitting on the bottom step in a puddle of her broken water.

"Oh God, not now…" Tessa gritted out, grasping onto the banister as beads of sweat began to form on her.

"You always did have shit timing and a big mouth, Jahi" Derek said as he straightened up, trying to keep his cool. It seemed that he and Tessa's conversation caused Derek to finally remember something that he had forgotten a long time ago, she wasn't Kate…she wasn't an Argent…she never changed in all this time…at least he prayed that she hadn't.

"Hm. That's interesting, because from what I remember you rather enjoyed the things I did with my mouth." Jahi responded matching his tone as she kept her gun trained on Derek "I am assuming you told her about us, didn't you?"

"I might have," Derek responded cooly, ignoring the contractions mixed with the cries he could hear Tessa trying her damndest to hold back. "Granted it seems like you care about that part of the past more than I do, hell I told Tessa about the Argents and my history with Kate long before Tessa was even pregnant…but _you_ just slipped my mind. Damn come to think of it, you weren't even an after thought. No, but then again you always were…You talk like I didn't know all the dirty things you used to whisper to me when I was plowing you because Kate wasn't around was an act?"

"Keep telling yourself that, Derek. You are nothing but a dog, a puppy that I liked to play with." Jahi spat, he had struck a chord and Derek knew it as he tried to put the sound of Tessa's contractions out of his mind.

"I think the lady doth protest too much. Tell me, did knowing that I would never love you bother you or was your self esteem to low to care. That's why you acted like such a skank, because you would take any little piece of me you could get. This was never about protecting Tessa from the big bad alpha was it?" Derek prodded as he watched Jahi shift uncomfortably "As soon as you found out that she was my mate, it became about jealousy, didn't it? Tessa should have been you…carrying my babies and warming my bed?"

"Shut up! You don't know anything about what I felt!" Jahi screamed as her eyes becoming misty right before she heard a gun cock.

"I warned you, Jahi." Chris Argent said in his typically calm tone.

"You told me I could hunt, Chris, and I am…Tessa just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time" Jahi said standing her ground.

"Justify it however you want, Jahi, it doesn't change the fact that you won't be shooting anyone tonight. Now drop the gun, before I make you drop it." Chris said as he stepped toward Jahi "Doctor, she's in here!" Chris finished as Dr. Ayer moved briskly through the door.

"Oh, God who let her stay like this?" Dr. Ayer spat finally calling attention to Tessa who was now laying at the bottom of the staircase, sweat dripping down her forehead with the stairs digging into her back.

"Tessa, how are you? Can you tell me how far apart the contractions are?" Dr. Ayer said laying her bag behind her while Derek remained in front of the two women.

"F-four minutes…oh God…why didn't you…tell..me…it would…" Tessa gasped before leaning forward as another contraction hit her.

"Lycanthrope labor is faster than human labor, this will be over soon I promise." Dr. Ayer said placing her lab coat behind Tessa's head.

"D-derek…" Tessa called weakly as she tried to grab onto something.

"I am right here, Little Red Riding Hood" Derek responded as he stood in front of Tessa protectively, his eyes still red.

"Please, baby, I need you…Please…" Tessa begged, anticipating the next contraction.

"Focus on your fiancée, Derek…I am watching her. You may not like me, but you and I both know that you can trust me to go by the book on this-I won't go after you for protecting her" Chris said in a strong tone, his eyes never leaving Jahi except to see Derek nod in understanding before turning quickly and crouching beside Tessa.

"The babies are coming now, it's too late to move her" Dr. Ayer began as she watched Tessa shift uncomfortably. "Derek I need a newspaper and a few blankets…"

"No, he can't leave!" Tessa finished with a scream, as she grabbed onto Derek's arm with a vengeance.

"I will be right back, I promise" Derek whispered as he gently pried her fingernails out of his skin.

"You're doing just fine, Tessa, hang in there…" Chris Argent said to her in a soothing tone from across the room "Focus now, we are going to get through this, just breathe"

"Good, good," Dr. Ayer added in encouragement as she watched Tessa's whimpering calm down as Derek came back with the necessary items.

"I can't fucking believe this, Chris, what the hell are you doing?" Jahi said in a choked tone.

"Leave, Jahi, and don't ever come back…don't ever come back to my territory ever again…or so help me I will kill you." Chris said as circled around in front of her and leading her towards the door.

"You can't be serious!" Jahi half-pleaded, half-growled as she made it out onto the porch and stumbled down the stairs before falling onto the ground and looking up at Chris with wide eyes.

Chris's only response was a warning shot, that landed just a little too close to her head.

"You don't want to find out just how serious I am…" Chris responded as he backed her up against a tree, watching her rise weakly.

"Traitor!" Jahi spat "Everyone is going to know! Other hunters will know, and will come for them and _you_" Jahi said moving away.

"They can't find out if, you're dead. Accidents happen all the time in our line of work, Jahi" Chris answered before firing another shot at her head.

"This wasn't supposed to be how things turned out!" Jahi spat back bitterly with tear-filled eyes "Those babies-"

"Were supposed to be yours?" Chris questioned gruffly "Derek was right, about everything wasn't he? This wasn't about the hunt…It doesn't matter now, even if you do leave and tell every hunter that will listen…who would believe that a member of the Argent family would let an entire pack survive?"

Finally, Chris looked down at Jahi one last time before moving to walk back into the house, no longer feeling animosity, but rather pity for the disturbed young woman. Was this what Kate had become?

The cocking of a gun broke him from his thoughts, and this time there would be no warning shots.

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"Oh God, what was that?" Tessa gasped in between contractions as she heard the shots go off.

"Chris is taking care of everything, stay focused Tessa" Dr. Ayer soothed as she helped Derek adjust Tessa so that she would be more comfortable laying between his legs rather than on the stairs.

"What the fuck did you do to me?" Tessa grounded out during a particularly hard contraction as she squeezed onto Derek's knees.

"Nothing you didn't want at the time…Come on, baby, you can do this. Keep going, just breathe…focus…Just a little longer." Derek responded as he did his best to wipe the sweat from her brows, too surprised at the strength in Tessa's grip to be amused, but before Dr. Ayer could scold Derek Chris Argent found his way through the door.

"Oh God, I can't do this anymore!" Tessa screamed before pushing with all her might.

"Yes you can, come on breathe, Tessa keep going…" Chris said squatting down beside her and taking her hand "come on, 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10. Good girl,"

"Do you mind?" Derek interjected as he eyed the hand holding Tessa's

"What? Don't look at me like that…I have done this before…" Chris responded looking up at a red-eyed Derek, who only nodded in response.

"Come on, sweetheart…1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10" Chris said gently as he ran his thumb over her white knuckles sharing a nod with Derek who had joined in counting off with him.

The two men continued like that for what felt like hours.

"I have a head! Come on, Tessa keep going, just a little bit longer!" Dr. Ayer said with a smile "Chris come around the other side and help me. Lay out the newspaper and place your hands here."

"Come on Tessa, give me a big push!" Dr. Ayer said, as she helped shift the tiny baby's body.

Only a moment later did they hear the satisfying sound of Eve Elizabeth Hale's first cry, held by none other, than Chris Argent who was now wiping her off and cutting her umbilical chord and tying it with a sterile piece of twine after receiving a nod of approval from Derek.

"One more, sweetheart…" Derek murmured to Tessa as he eyed Chris and his daughter carefully. The two men maintained eye contact until Eve's twin sent their focus elsewhere.

"He isn't crying…why isn't he crying…Come on Holden, cry for mommy, cry for mommy" Tessa pleaded grabbing on to Derek's hand as Dr. Ayer worked to assist her now blue baby.

However, it wasn't but a few seconds after Tessa spoke that Derek Holden Hale made his presence known.

"Hi, Angel…" Tessa breathed through her tears as Dr. Ayer handed her Holden before reaching to pass her Eve.

Tessa looked up to see Derek staring down at his children, now wrapped in blankets and laying against their mother's breast…and for the first time, since she went into labor his eyes weren't red…and he finally let out the breath he had been holding since both babies came out. Although, the moment was soon broken as Dr. Ayer pulled them both out of their thoughts.

"Derek…" Dr. Ayer murmured softly as she swaddled each infant one at a time.

"Hm…" Derek answered snapping his attention to her.

"Would you like to hold your children?" Dr. Ayer asked as she adjusted both babies before handing Eve back to Chris for the moment.

"One at a time…" Derek said as he swallowed hard, reaching out to Chris.

"How the hell do you this?" Derek whispered to a now laughing Chris as he handed Derek his new daughter.

"I said the same thing when Allison was born…I refused to hold her for the first 6 months" Chris began as he moved Derek's arm into the proper position "Support the head. Then, put your arm around her like that…"

After a few minutes he handed Eve to Tessa.

"Hey, Little Red Riding Hood, can I have Holden?" Derek said as he swapped children with their mother and shifting the baby into the position that Chris had taught him before looking up at the older man, smirking when Chris gave him a thumbs up.

"There is something I need to discuss with you…" Chris said as he and Derek moved to the other room

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"Sit down when you are holding my son" Derek said to Stiles as he held Holden who was now sporting the blanket, cap, and booties that Eve had made for him.

"Seriously Derek? Why do I have to sit and no one else has to…" Stiles said as he nodded toward Leighton who was now holding Eve before walking toward the chair in Derek and Tessa's bedroom.

"Because I don't trust you not to spazz out and drop him." Derek answered gruffly.

"Stiles if it makes you feel any better, Jackson and Scott had to sit too…Come sit over here on the bed." Tessa said from their bed only to be followed by Derek and his new son.

"Take a seat, Stiles." Tessa said with a smile before leaning back on the pillows Leighton had propped up for her after helping her into a fresh gown.

"Well, I'm sitting, now can I hold my nephew?" Stiles said reaching out for Holden and watched impatiently as Derek obliged (after sharing a look with Tessa).

"Support the head like that, then wrap your arm around him…" Derek said as he sat Holden down in his arms.

"Hey little man…" Stiles said gently before watching Chris Argent entered the room and made a b-line for Derek.

"Derek, a word?" Chris asked in a serious tone.

"We'll be back in a minute," Derek murmured to Tessa before turning to walk out with Chris.

"What is it?" Derek said matching Chris's tone.

"There is one matter we didn't handle…" Chris said with a glint in his eye that Derek understood immediately.

"Jahi" Derek responded as the two men went down the stairs "what did you do?"

"I defended myself," Chris began "I told her to leave and that if she ever came back…there would be consequences. Apparently, she didn't get the message because she tried to shoot me in the back."

"Vintage Jahi…a bitch right up until the end…" Derek said with a bitter chuckle "So what do you propose we do about the leftovers?"

"How would you feel about a bon fire? We can have a couple beers…roast a few hot dogs…" Chris trailed off as he lead Derek to the body.

"I hope you drink lager…" Derek responded before looking at the other man.

"I'll go gather some wood," Chris answered as the two men went to do their respective jobs.

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Tessa sat and watched her father hold his new grand-daughter, while Jackson sat down beside Tessa awkwardly holding Holden when Derek walked in with his lips turned up slightly at as he approached the bed.

"I'll be back in a little while, Baby. Chris and I have some business to handle" Derek whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek and walking out. 

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"You know this doesn't change much, right?" Chris said as he took a sip of his beer and watched the embers of what could only be described as a funeral pyre rise up into the night sky.

"I had a feeling this wouldn't change anything…" Derek responded as he stood by the other man watching the flames roar.

"I said it wouldn't change _much _not anything, Derek" Chris answered gruffly.

"Keep talking," Derek said with a new interest as he took a last swig of his beer before popping open a new bottle.

"I mean" Chris said taking a new bottle from Derek "I am still a hunter, you are still, well you. That is two things that we both know will never change, but tonight something Tessa once told me really sank in for me tonight…in life there are good people and bad people. I have never felt the need to hurt good people…that being said…you are extremely lucky that you are about to are going to be married to Tessa."

"No shit," Derek answered laughing at the dark humor the two men were sharing.

"What I need to know now, man to man, is if you are satisfied with the size of your pack?" Chris asked in a tone that was all business.

"I have never been more satisfied, if we add anymore additions to the _family_ that is another story…I need to know, man to man, will Eve and Holden…whatever children we have in the future be safe?" Derek asked knowing that this conversation would draw the line in the sand between the two men.

"I wouldn't have helped bring them into the world, just to hunt them down…We wouldn't be watching Jahi go up in flames if I intended to bring harm to your family…I want to know if you still want the power that comes with building up a pack, Derek?" Chris stated bluntly as he continued to watch the fire burn.

"No, I won't let that part of me consume me, I'm sated…anything less and Tessa would have my ass" Derek answered before the men continued to watch the fire burn until nothing was left but ash.

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Derek walked made his way into the bedroom to see Tessa sleeping soundly with two bassinets by her side of the bed, Eve and Holden were nestled in warm footed pajamas with matching caps. Tessa was on her side facing their babies, her hair was going down her back in a loose braid. He looked down at his _family,_ and for once the concepts didn't unnerve him in any way, it felt right. Eve and Holden both had little tufts of black hair but big crystal green eyes, like their mother just as he'd hoped.

However, Eve's whimpers pulled him out of his thoughts.

"_Well here goes…"_ Derek thought before picking her up and holding her the way Chris had taught him, noticing she was looking up at him with her mother's big green eyes.

"How's it going, Evie?" Derek whispered matching her gaze as he began to pace around the room, rocking her the way he had seen Tessa's father do "Evie doesn't sound to bad, huh? Evie…I think we'll stick with it. I don't know if you can tell yet or not, but I have never done this before. Your mother is probably always going to be better than I am at this, I might not always going to be the nicest guy in the world, but if your mother can put up with me I know you can too. I promise that I will keep you safe, but I know when you grow up you are going to have to find out some stuff on your own sometimes…I promise I will do my best to learn the difference, but I am your dad so you are going to have to bear with me. There are times when you might have to suffer for the mistakes I've made, but I promise I will be trying my best. I am always going to be there,"

He and Eve stood in front of the window until Holden woke as well.

"Hang in there, Holden I am coming" Derek whispered as he turned to walk toward the bed only to be met by Tessa holding their son and smiling at him…busted.

"It's feeding time, keep me company." Tessa said as she placed several pillows on her lap pulled her nightgown down allowing Holden to nurse her breast before taking Eve from Derek and arranging her so that she could eat beside her brother.

"Are you sure you can nurse them at the same time like that?" Derek asked as he sat down beside her on their bed, his hand absently rubbing her back while he watched his children nurse their mother.

"I have two for a reason, Derek" Tessa said laughingly "Still can't believe they're yours can you?"

"Nope." Derek responded simply not taking his eyes off of Eve and Holden "I can't believe you're mine either,"

Tessa looked at him in surprise for a few moments before he actually met her gaze….

For the first time since, Derek and Tessa had met…Derek was smiling at her…at their family.

"I love you, Tessa Stilinski" Derek said before kissing her lightly and turning his attention back to their children.

"I love you too, Derek Hale" Tessa responded before returning his kiss.

"God, I can't wait until you have my last name…" Derek said before putting a blanket around her shoulders.


	41. Epilogue

Epilogue

_Three Months Later…_

"Don't use baby talk with my son, burp him and get it over with…" Derek growled at Stiles before placing a cloth diaper over his shoulder and taking a squirming Holden from him only to have Leighton take over.

"Don't get spit-up on your suit, Derek." the well groomed black man said as he adjusted a smiling Holden in his arms only to be met with a middle finger from Derek as Lydia happily grabbed Holden from the large man as she dropped off the groom's gift.

"Not in God's house, Dear…" Leighton responded as he adjusted the tie on Derek's simple black suit and put on his white rose boutineer.

"I don't know why I let you put me in this thing, I look like I'm going to the Prom." Derek growled as he adjusted his tie one more time.

"No, you look like you're getting married. Nervous much, Derek?" Leighton said as he watched Derek crack his neck.

"Well what would you have chosen to wear for your wedding, hm?" Leighton asked as he put a hand on his hip "Yea that's what I thought," Leighton finished when Derek remained silent.

"I thought my best man was supposed to just hang out and have a beer with me on my wedding day," Derek answered as he stood in front of the mirror.

"You mean best man of honor, and I would love a beer but I have to live up to both of my duties and go deliver the bride's gift and help her as well. It's just pre-wedding jitters…completely normal…you'll calm down once you see Tessa…now open your grooms gift." Leighton said before walking out of the room and leaving Derek with Stiles, Scott, Jackson, and Sherriff Stilinski.

"Hey Derek…I heard something about a beer…it's not exactly Lager, but it gets the job done." Chris Argent said as he entered the room carrying a bottle of Maker's Mark and some glasses "Gentleman, shall we? An old groom's custom, a shot of Whiskey before you walk...After all we didn't get to do it at your Bachelor Party."

"No we didn't did we?" Derek said with a smirk as he remembered the bon fire the two had that night as he took the shot of Whiskey and raised it along with the other men before throwing it back.

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"You look beautiful!" Leighton said as he helped Tessa put the finishing touches on her hair and make-up while she finished putting together her bouquet made from the Roses and Peonies that she and Jackson had grown in her garden.

"Thank you," Tessa murmured gently as she fingered a delicate petal and placed it on the dresser of the bridal suite and taking her gift from Derek. "I can't believe this day is finally here…" finished as she opened her bridal present.

"Leighton…look…" Tessa knew what it was as soon as she saw the shoe box sized dark wooden box.

"What's inside?" Leighton asked as she reached for the clasp.

"Let's see…a map…" Tessa whispered as she looked down at the piece of paper and smiling.

"No, it's a note, look" Leighton said urging her to open it.

"Oh you're right…" Tessa said before her eyes filled up with tears "he remembered…"

"He remembered what?" Leighton said as he looked at the note.

"_We'll fill it up as we go." _

_-Derek_

"It's something I told him a while ago that I never thought he would remember…" Tessa said as she began to choke up only to have Leighton look up to face her.

"Oh hell no, you are not cocking up 20 minutes of make-up this close to the ceremony…save it for the reception! Now hustle up we have to get your dress on!"

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The wedding was simple and would take place in the courtyard of the small church where Tessa's parents were married with only a few guests in attendance: Dr. Ayer and her family, Geoffrey DeMarco and his wife, Jackson and his parents, Scott and his mother, Lydia, Stiles and Tessa's father, and even the Argents (much to Tessa's surprise) with three empty seats with roses on them in memory of Tessa's mother, Derek's family, and Eve.

The justice of the peace (and a friend of Derek's family) entered as a sign that the ceremony was to begin. Lydia played a soft melody on the violin as Derek made his way down the aisle looking slightly more relaxed thanks to the shot of whiskey he had before the ceremony, ignoring the music and focusing on the end of the small gazebo that made up the alter with Leighton, Scott, Jackson, and Stiles in tow.

Derek gave an inward and impatient eye roll as the music stopped playing and bridal party stood in front of the arch that lead to the alter as Marco, Allison, and Lydia made their way down the aisle for what Derek felt like was forever until he finally saw Tessa walk in on her father's arm.

He couldn't tell how many times Tessa knocked the wind of him, but right now in this moment he had forgotten to breathe this time it wasn't the lust that she had ignited within him every time he saw her but because in that moment she truly was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

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Tessa stood nervously outside the doorway of the church as she strained to see the groomsman file in, she was shaking in anticipation as she squeezed her father's arm as she ran her hands over her mother's gown one more time, it was a classic lace ¾ sleeved off the shoulder ivory gown with a chapel length train, a matching chapel length veil was was placed strategically in the intricate low bun that Leighton had created.

"Do you have everything?" Lydia asked as she looked her over one more time.

"Yep, something old: Eve's locket is wrapped around my bouquet,

Something new: The result of the shopping trip you and I took last night is on underneath of my gown.

Something Borrowed: The shoes you lent me and pearl earrings you lent me

And Something Blue: My garter…I'm all set, now let's just hope I make it down the aisle without tripping." Tessa said with a chuckle as Lydia and Tessa made their way through the door and toward the arch that lead to the aisle.

It felt like forever as she watched her bridesmaids make her way down the aisle. Then she saw him standing at the alter, and in that moment time seemed to slow down and even though there was more than a dozen other people in the area Derek was the only person she saw…If she ever needed confirmation that he was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with…this was it.

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The Justice of the Peace looked at the two of them and smiled, noting that Derek and Tessa never took their eyes off of each other.

"_Who presents this woman to be married to this man?"_ The Justice of the Peace asked gently grabbing Tessa and Derek's attention away from eachother.

"_I do," The Sherriff said as hugged his daughter and a smiling when she mouthe "I love you, Daddy" to him before placing her hand in Derek's "I know you'll take care of my girl, Derek." _

"_I will," Derek said as he turned his attention to back to Tessa before facing the Justice of the Peace once again. _

"_Friends, Derek and Tessa have invited us here today to share in the celebration of their marriage - their wedding._

_We come together not to mark the start of a relationship, but to recognize a bond that already exists. This marriage is one expression of the many varieties of love. Love is one, though its expressions are infinite._

_It is fitting to speak briefly about love. We live in a world of joy and fear and search for meaning and strength in the seeming disorder. We discover the truest guideline to our quest when we realize love in all its magnitudes. Love is the eternal force of life. Love is the force that allows us to face fear and uncertainty with courage._

_But, you must "be of love a little more careful than of anything."_

_For the giving of yourself in love is difficult, for you must learn to give of your love without total submission of yourself. Therefore, in your giving, give your joy, your sadness, your interest, your understanding, your knowledge - all expressions that make up life. But in this giving, remember to preserve yourself - your integrity, your individuality. This is the challenge of love within marriage._

_Derek and Tessa, you are marrying because you enjoy each other's company and because you want to be together. You are marrying because each of you can grow in humanity and in love more fully while touching the other. You are marrying because you can be more trusting of life as life mates. Keep this understanding of your marriage fresh and alive in the days ahead._

_In marriage a family comes into being. Be joyful in your family. Bring to your family an appreciation of the beauty of each other. Bring to your family a sense of comfort and strength. Bring to your family a joy and thankfulness for being together._

_Marriage is a good estate. Bring to it joy. Bring to it the joy of this hour. Bring to it the enjoyment of each other." _

Derek and Tessa listened to the words, but never once looked away from each other.

_"Tessa and Derek have chosen to write their own vows" _

Tessa turned to give Leighton her bouquet before Derek took both of her hands and began.

"Tessa, from the moment I first saw you, I knew you were the one with whom I wanted to share my life. Your beauty, heart, and mind inspire me to be the best person I can be. I promise to love you for eternity, respecting you, honoring you, being faithful to you, and sharing my life with you. This is my solemn vow." He finished with a squeeze of her hand that was vintage Derek.

"Derek, today I take you to be my husband. Together we will create a home, becoming a part of one another. I vow to help create a life that we can cherish, inspiring your love for me and mine for you. I vow to be honest, caring and truthful, to love you as you are and not as I want you to be, and to grow old by your side as your love and best friend." Tessa murmured softly as she tried to hold back the emotions brewing inside of her.

"_Now if you two will please join hands" _

"Leighton," Derek whispered.

"One step ahead of you, brotha'." Leighton answered as he hand each of them their respective rings before taking a step back with Tessa's bouquet.

"_Derek if you will repeat after me," _to which Derek nodded in return.

"_Tessa, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love"_

"Tessa, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love," repeated as he slipped his mother's wedding band on Tessa's finger.

"_my faith in our strength together,"_

"My faith in our strength together,"

"_and my covenant to learn and grow with you."_

"and my covenant to learn and grow with you."

"_Now Tessa," _

"_Derek, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love"_

"Derek, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love" Tessa repeated gently as she slipped the simple steel band onto his finger.

"_my faith in our strength together,"_

"my faith in our strength together,"

"_and my covenant to learn and grow with you."_

"and my covenant to learn and grow with you."

"_Now if there is any reason these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace" _

After a few moments and a few suspicious stares at the Argent family the ceremony continued.

_"Now by the power vested in me by the State of California I now pronounce you husband and wife. Derek, you may kiss your bride." _The Justice of the Peace finished as Derek finally got to do what he had been wanting the entire time and took Tessa into his arms and crushed his lips to hers as their guests clapped reminding him that he was going to have to keep it PG.

_"Ladies and gentleman, family and friends, it is my pride and privilege to present to you the new Mr. and Mrs. Derek Hale" _The Justice of the Peace finished as the two rushed out of the courtyard.

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After a simple reception at a local cafe and a few pictures of the bridal Derek, Tessa, and the bridal party along with settling in Holden and Eve at Tessa's fathers house (after much debate from Derek in the form of "Can't we just leave him with Leighton?") the New Mr. and Mrs. Derek Hale lay in bed together at the honeymoon suite of a small hotel in Santorini, Greece.

"So that little outfit you had on was your something new?" Derek asked with a smile as he wrapped his fingers in her hair as she propped her head up on his chest.

"mmhm…I love it when you smile at me" Tessa said with a sigh as she placed a kiss on Derek's chest "I can't believe we are really married…"

"Me neither," Derek said in a tone that she hadn't heard before "I love you, Tessa Hale"

"I love you, Derek Hale…" Tessa trailed off gently "I finally have your last name"

The two stayed like that for the rest of the night…

The End


End file.
